Laptop project stalled for reasons of budget deficit

Last Updated 13 years ago by Kenya Engineer

The laptop project has hit a hurdle as bidders have exceeded the anticipated budget of Ksh20 billion with the lowest bidder quoting Ksh32billion.  The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Professor Jacob Kaimenyi has announced the cancelling of the tender to that effect. 

When the government issued an international tender in August for the delivery of 1.3 million units 20 bidders out of 126 who purchased bid documents responded. Professor Kaimenyi says that out of the 20, only 3 bidders met the specifications required.

However, Prof. Kaimenyi says the government will go out of its way to get the gadgets in place by December. So afr the development in the project stands that each pupil joining class one in 2014 will get a laptop, but it will be stored in school as a security measure. The computers will also be available to other learners, said the Majority Leader in the National Assembly, Aden Duale yesterday.

He said mobile laboratories will be constructed in schools during the second and third year of the laptops project implementation.

“This will guarantee equity and quality for all classes. The Cabinet on August 13 approved the structures to oversee implementation and fast-tracking of the programme,” said Mr. Duale.

The government has been sensitizing various stakeholders, including school heads and teachers unions on the ICT implementation since August this year. Mr. Duale said the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development has finalized on mathematics for classes four to seven. Additionally, Class one content has been developed and is only awaiting loading on the laptops.

A Cabinet committee was selected to provide overall leadership and policy direction. A national steering committee comprising Principal Secretaries (PS) from various ministries was constituted to provide oversight, coordinate resource mobilization and inter-agency forums.

“An ICT technical implementation team consisting of technical officers from ministries and academia who will develop content, logistics, finance and procurement is in place. They will be supported by the project implementation secretariat that will provide operational logistics for implementation of the project championed by the Jubilee government,” Mr. Duale said.

The entire project is estimated to cost some Ksh75 billion to target over 1.3 million pupils in public primary schools.