The African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional financing arm of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), has approved a $73.31 million loan to advance science and technology education across Kenya’s public universities.
The investment marks the second phase of the Support to Higher Education, Science and Technology Project (HEST II), announced late last week, according to Innovation Village.
This new funding will help modernize 19 public universities by equipping them with state-of-the-art laboratories, advanced teaching tools, and digital learning infrastructure.
It builds on the achievements of HEST I, which previously upgraded facilities in eight universities and significantly strengthened engineering education in Kenya.
HEST II seeks to promote regional balance by extending improvements to institutions across all regions of the country.
The project is expected to benefit more than 20,000 students, including 8,000 young women, and generate around 5,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030.
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Key objectives include establishing three engineering centres of excellence to develop specialized technical skills, creating a science and technology park that enables students and researchers to transform innovative ideas into commercial ventures, and providing scholarships for 103 university lecturers to pursue advanced studies and enhance academic quality.
The initiative will also introduce staff retraining programs to align teaching with evolving technological trends, roll out a competency-based education curriculum to better prepare graduates for the job market, and support youth entrepreneurship through training, mentorship, and incubation hubs for over 100 youth-led start-ups.
Highlighting the project’s impact, Hendrina Doroba, Division Manager for Education and Skills Development at AfDB, said, “For many, education remains the surest path to a better life.
We’re helping Kenya’s young people gain the skills that employers need today, and the confidence to create their own jobs tomorrow.”
This strategic investment reinforces AfDB’s commitment to equipping Africa’s youth with the education, innovation, and opportunities necessary for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
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Image Credit: The Knowledge Warehouse Limited
