Kenya’s education language challenges: English vs. mother tongue

Lona Chepkemoi, a 33-year-old mother of five, found a renewed sense of belonging and understanding in a technical college in Kenya, where lessons were taught in her mother tongue, Kalenjin, alongside English and Swahili. This shift in language instruction has helped many students, including her husband, Philemon Tonui, and fellow classmates, feel more engaged and successful in their studies. While Kenya’s education system faces challenges balancing mother-tongue instruction with the necessity of English for higher education and employment, multilingual classrooms are becoming increasingly recognized as essential for effective learning.

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