Delegates at the 2nd EAC Regional Education Conference at Safari Park, Nairobi on August 26, 2026/FELIX ASOHA
East African governments have been challenged to move beyond
education policies and commitments and demonstrate measurable improvements in
what children learn, the skills young people acquire and their ability to
participate productively in the economy.
Cabinet Secretary for East African Community
Affairs and Regional Development, Beatrice Askul said the region must now shift from
commitments to implementation, results and, ultimately, impact at scale.
Speaking at the 2nd EAC Regional Education Conference
in Nairobi, CS Askul said East Africa has made significant progress in
expanding access to education, but learning outcomes have not kept pace.
Cabinet Secretary for East African Community Affairs and Regional Development, Beatrice Askul addressing the 2nd EAC Regional Education Conference in Nairobi
“Access has expanded faster than learning outcomes,” Askul said,
noting that too many children spend years in school without acquiring
foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
She said East Africa must also address the growing mismatch
between education and the needs of a changing economy, particularly as artificial
intelligence transforms the workplace.
“Education policy must be judged not by the elegance of our
policy documents, but by what learners can know, do, and access,” she said.
The CS said the region, which has a population of more than 300
million and one of the world’s youngest populations, must convert its
demographic strength into human capital, productivity and prosperity.
CS Askul said governments should focus on taking successful
education innovations beyond individual schools and districts and scaling them
up across education systems.
Her concerns were echoed by Association for the Development of
Education in Africa Executive Secretary Albert Nsengiyumva, who challenged
participants to identify what they will do differently after the conference.
“Being the second conference shows that we are committed to
change and we have a great potential that we need to tap into,” Nsengiyumva
said.
Executive Director – Uwezo Uganda, Regional Education Learning
Initiative Africa Board Chair Mary Goretti noted that achieving equitable and
quality education will require resilient systems and genuine partnerships
capable of translating commitments into measurable learning outcomes.
The EAC Deputy Secretary-General Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth said
education and skills development remain central to regional integration, with
the EAC Treaty providing for cooperation in education and training.
Minister of State for Education and Sports, Uganda Phyllis
Chemutai said governments must critically assess what is working, what is
failing and what needs to change to deliver measurable impact.
The four-day conference, running from August 25 to 28 in
Nairobi, is being held under the theme, “Transforming Education in East Africa:
From Commitments to Impact, Fostering Resilience and Future-Ready Systems for
Sustainable Development.”
It comes as education systems across the region grapple with
persistent inequalities in access and quality, weak transitions between
education levels, skills mismatches and limited links between technical and
vocational training and industry.