In the arid plains of Turkana County in northwestern Kenya, education is not just a right—it is a distant hope. For thousands of children here, school is a makeshift tent under a tree, a distant walk away, with no books, desks, or even a meal to keep them going. While much of Kenya strides forward in education reform and innovation, Turkana remains stubbornly stuck on the margins. The region’s education system is hanging by a thread, and unless development agencies like the World Bank rethink how and where they invest, generations of children will continue to be left behind.
Turkana is one of Kenya’s poorest counties. The odds are stacked heavily against its children: entrenched poverty, extreme drought, food insecurity, nomadic lifestyles, and recurring conflict. These intersecting challenges make Turkana one of the hardest places in Kenya to be a child—and a student. Schools are few and far between, often without toilets, running water, or electricity. Classrooms, where they exist, are overcrowded and poorly equipped. In many communities, girls are more likely to be married off before age 16 than to finish primary school.
Despite this, the resilience of Turkana’s communities is remarkable. Parents are eager to send their children to school. Children walk for hours in blistering heat just for a chance to learn. But resilience alone cannot build classrooms, hire teachers, or provide textbooks. This is where the international development community must step up—differently.
The World Bank and other donors have poured billions into Kenya’s education sector. Yet too little of that money reaches counties like Turkana. National averages in literacy or school completion mask deep regional inequalities. If equity is to be more than a slogan, education aid must prioritize the hardest places to reach.
Here’s what needs to change.
First, the World Bank must fund climate-resilient and inclusive infrastructure. Schools in Turkana need more than walls—they need water, solar power, digital access, and trained staff who are supported and motivated to stay. Technology can be a game changer here, but only if it’s designed for offline, low-resource settings.
