Between English and mother tongue: Kenya’s education language dilemma
Key takeaways
- Students in Kenya say mother tongue improves learning, but English still dominates education and work.
- After leaving primary school in 2008, Chepkemoi had failed her final exam, and her family could not afford to send her to secondary school.
- Then a scholarship from her local member of parliament gave her a second chance.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Students in Kenya say mother tongue improves learning, but English still dominates education and work.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Across Kenya, students and graduates say learning in mother tongue improves understanding, but English remains essential for education and work, exposing a deep tension in classrooms [Al Jazeera]By Dominic Kirui Published On 28 Jun 202628 Jun 2026Kericho, Kenya – When Lona Chepkemoi walked into a technical college classroom in 2023, she found something she had rarely experienced during her years in school: She could understand what the teacher was saying.
After leaving primary school in 2008, Chepkemoi had failed her final exam, and her family could not afford to send her to secondary school. For years, the dream of becoming a fashion designer seemed out of reach.