By Noah Mukhwana
In a high-profile push to close Kenya’s digital divide, Women in Technology & Innovation Africa (WITIA) on Saturday unveiled a Ksh 4.7 million Smart Library at Nkaimurunya Comprehensive School in Gataka, Kajiado County.
The facility — donated in full by WITIA Founder and Chair Eunice Pohlmann, a technopreneur and philanthropist — is a pilot for a much larger national ambition: placing Smart Libraries in every ward across Kenya as part of WITIA’s broader Digital Innovation project.
Designed to bring reliable internet, modern computers and interactive e-learning platforms to an underserved community, the Nkaimurunya Smart Library is more than an ICT installation.
At the launch, government and civic leaders framed it as a model for scalable, community-anchored development that ties directly into national development priorities such as Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“This Smart Library is a tangible expression of Kenya’s commitment to inclusive, technology-driven learning,” said Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos, who praised the public-private partnership behind the project.
“The Ministry of Education fully supports initiatives that make the Competency-Based Curriculum real for learners in every part of the country.”
Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, described the facility as aligned with Kenya’s digital transformation agenda and a potential blueprint for replication nationwide.
A phased national plan not merely a one-off project
WITIA officials say Nkaimurunya is a proof-of-concept in a deliberate scaling strategy. “This is the pilot,” WITIA Board Member Dr. Bella Namango told guests.
“We intend to roll out Smart Libraries across wards in every county so that digital opportunity reaches every child, not just those in urban centres.”
That scaling ambition is embedded in WITIA’s Digital Innovation project, which the organisation describes as an integrated approach to infrastructure, content, mentorship and local partnerships.
At scale, the Smart Libraries will act as local hubs for learning and innovation — connected into a national network that supports teacher training, curriculum resources and community access.
Phase Two: training, livelihoods and gender-responsive tech skills
Crucially, the Smart Libraries will expand beyond school use in a second phase to become community training centres— with a special focus on teenage mothers.
The organisation plans targeted courses in AI fundamentals, coding, software development and digital entrepreneurship aimed at equipping women with marketable tech skills to improve their economic resilience and support their families.
“These centres will offer pathways from basic digital literacy to market-ready technical skills,” said Mr. Ian Wesa Sitati WITIA Program Manager.
“That shift — from access to capability — is what turns devices and connectivity into real economic opportunity for a crucial part of society- that is the teenage mothers who are neglected and stigmatized by the society.”
A private act of philanthropy, with a public mission
The Ksh 4.7 million investment in the Nkaimurunya facility was donated by Eunice Pohlmann, who is a serial technopreneur and philanthropist.
At the launch Ms Pohlmann framed the project as part of a wider conviction that Africa must seize its technological future rather than wait for external aid.
“We are in the middle of a technological revolution and Africa should not be left behind by simply waiting for help from outside,” Pohlmann said.
“Private sector actors, in collaboration with government, must come together now so that Africa shapes and benefits from this revolution.”
Partnerships for sustainability
WITIA used the launch to sign strategic memoranda of understanding with the Rotary Club of Karen and UNICAF, agreements that organisers say will help sustain the libraries through mentoring, scholarship pathways and local volunteer support.
Other partners taking part in the launch included LoHo Learning and the Global Exhibition Hub (GEX), whose country director Edwin Masivo praised the project’s potential for community transformation.
Rotary Club of Karen President Linet Ayuko reiterated Rotary’s commitment to literacy and community service, while local leaders — including Nkaimurunya Ward MCA James Maina and the school’s headteacher — described the library as a game-changer for learners who previously had little or no access to digital resources.
Why this matters
For policymakers and donors, the Nkaimurunya pilot raises two linked questions: can the Smart Library be maintained affordably at the ward level, and can the training phase be delivered with measurable employment outcomes for women and teenage mothers?
WITIA’s model combines local stewardship (through school and Rotary involvement) with external funding and scholarship partners — an approach organisers say will be refined and tested as the programme expands.
If successful, WITIA’s Smart Libraries could shift the narrative about where and how digital skills are developed in Kenya — moving training and access out of distant urban tech hubs and into the heart of local communities.