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A weekly development news platform published by UrgeDevWire, produced by Urge Communications. Covering wider East African region.

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Mobile Science Laboratories Expand STEM Access for Students in Rural Northern Kenya

MARSABIT, Kenya — 4 August 2026

Students in rural Marsabit County are gaining greater access to practical science education through mobile laboratories and science kits designed to address persistent gaps in school infrastructure.

Concern Worldwide's programme supports schools with mobile laboratories, integrated science equipment and digital learning resources while strengthening teachers' capacity to deliver practical science lessons. The programme reported reaching 3,420 students across 16 junior schools, including 1,782 girls and 1,638 boys.

The intervention responds to a significant infrastructure challenge in Marsabit, where access to well-equipped laboratories remains limited. It also supports Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum, which places greater emphasis on practical learning and science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

For students in remote communities, the absence of laboratories can make practical science education difficult even where teachers and schools are available. Mobile facilities provide a way of bringing equipment to schools rather than requiring students to travel to better-resourced institutions.

The gender dimension is also important. Expanding practical STEM education in underserved communities can help address unequal access to the resources needed to develop science and technology skills, particularly among girls.

The initiative illustrates a broader development challenge in East Africa: improving education outcomes requires investment not only in enrolment and classrooms but also in the quality and relevance of learning environments.

For northern Kenya, strengthening STEM education has implications beyond the classroom. Better access to practical science and technology learning can contribute to the skills base needed for future employment, innovation and local economic development.

The longer-term measure of success will be whether access to mobile laboratories translates into improved learning outcomes, stronger student participation and greater progression into science and technology pathways.

Source: Concern Worldwide

Urge Inside Health| East Africa. Urge- DevWire