In a landmark move to advance inclusive education in Kenya, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba, today officially launched INUKA, a transformative education sponsorship initiative by the KPC Foundation, aimed at supporting children living with disabilities across the country.
The INUKA program seeks to provide secondary school scholarships to academically gifted yet financially disadvantaged students with disabilities from all 47 counties, enrolling two students per county each year. The support package includes tuition fees, school uniforms, assistive learning devices, and access to structured mentorship – all aimed at easing the integration of these students into the mainstream education system and eventually into the workforce.
Since its inception, the program has impacted the lives of more than 745 students, with an investment of over KES 120 million.
Speaking during the launch ceremony held at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE), Hon. Ogamba reaffirmed the government’s dedication to promoting inclusive and equitable education, commending the KPC Foundation for stepping up to empower children living with disabilities.
“The National Survey on Children with Disabilities and Special Needs in Education conducted in 2018 estimated that approximately 11.4 percent of children aged 3 to 21 in Kenya live with disabilities. This equates to about 2.49 million children. These learners face numerous challenges including inadequate infrastructure and insufficient training for educators. These hurdles have contributed to low enrollment and high dropout rates,” said the CS.
“Despite the challenges, the Government remains committed to ensuring that no child is left behind. Initiatives like INUKA are crucial to bridging these gaps and exemplify the power of collective action,” he added.
The Education CS further announced that the Ministry will soon begin auditing all learning institutions across the country to ensure compliance with requirements that support learners with disabilities.
KPC Board Chairperson, Mrs. Faith Bett Boinett, underscored the urgent need to support learners with disabilities who often struggle within a resource-constrained education system.
“The reality in our education sector is that thousands of students must share limited resources. For students with disabilities, the situation is even more dire, as they require additional support to thrive,” she noted. “It is against this backdrop that KPC Foundation has chosen to contribute to the national empowerment of Persons Living with Disabilities through the INUKA Program.”
KPC Managing Director, Mr. Joe Sang, reiterated the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to creating an inclusive society where every child can access quality education regardless of physical, sensory, or financial limitations.
“As a Company, we identified the many challenges children with disabilities face in pursuing education. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that they are not left behind, but instead empowered to transform their lives through education,” said Mr. Sang.
He highlighted that education is a core pillar of the KPC Foundation’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy and emphasized the importance of collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to ensure the program’s long-term success.
To complement the scholarship program, KPC Foundation also launched a comprehensive mentorship program aimed at improving academic outcomes and preparing scholars for career success. The initiative will benefit 370 students annually.
In a bold step towards sustainability and continued support, the Foundation also rolled out INUKA PLUS – an extension of the INUKA program that offers university, college, and TVET scholarships to top-performing secondary school graduates from the initial program. KPC Foundation has committed to investing KES 41 million annually into the INUKA PLUS program, totaling KES 160 million over four years. The inaugural cohort of 25 students received their scholarships in December 2024.
The INUKA and INUKA PLUS programs represent KPC Foundation’s enduring belief in the power of education to transform lives, particularly for students living with disabilities – paving the way for a more inclusive, empowered, and self-reliant generation.
