Investing in Local Research to Strengthen Kenya’s Foundational Learning
Education experts are urging greater investment in locally led research to tackle persistent gaps in Kenya’s Foundational Learning. A new report by Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA) and the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre, University of Cambridge, highlights urgent priorities for reform.
Recommendations:
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Increasing local investment: framing research as an investment in problem-solving and encouraging increased government funding for Foundational Learning.
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Centralising data: creating a centralised, accessible data source for researchers.
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Increasing research uptake: ensuring findings are shared in accessible formats for different audiences, including parents.
The report emerges from the second Foundational Learning workshop, held in Nairobi on 14 May 2025, under the theme: “Promoting Locally Led and Policy-Relevant Research Priorities in Kenya.”
The workshop brought together researchers, policymakers and practitioners from various institutions across the country to identify and discuss policy-relevant Foundational Learning research priorities.
In his keynote address, Dr. Robert Gichuhi Ndegwa, Director of Education and Deputy Head at the Directorate of Policy Partnerships and East African Community Affairs, Ministry of Education, emphasised that locally led research provides insights grounded in lived experience, cultural context, and classroom realities
Adding to this, Dr Domnick Okullo, Senior Manager for Foundational Learning at ESSA, presented findings from Phase 1 of the project, which revealed persistent barriers to research across sub-Saharan Africa—including limited funding, inadequate capacity, and faculty workload pressures.
Highlighting the stakes, Dr. Benjamin Piper, Director of Global Education at the Gates Foundation, noted that “only four out of ten Grade 4 learners can read a Grade 3 text,” according to USAWA Agenda data. Participants agreed that closing this gap demands more policy-relevant, locally driven research to deliver practical solutions at scale.
Together with Ghana’s report, this Kenya report forms part of a regional effort to ensure African-led solutions shape the future of Foundational Learning.
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