GPE KIX Kenya Meeting Advances Knowledge Sharing and Policy Dialogue

May 20, 2026, 9:18 a.m.

The Kenya Ministry of Education, through the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO (KNATCOM), in partnership with the Global Partnership for Education’s Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPEKIX) Africa 19 Hub, a joint endeavor with Canada’s International Development Research Centre’s (IDRC), opened the GPE KIX National Knowledge Sharing and Policy Meeting in Naivasha, Kenya, under the theme “Aligning Evidence for System-Level Impact.”

The three-day meeting opened with a clear call to make evidence a more practical tool for education reform. It brings together policymakers, researchers, development partners, GPE KIX project teams, and education stakeholders to examine how research and project learning can better inform policy choices, strengthen implementation, and support the scaling of what works in Kenya.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Elyas Abdi, Director General, Ministry of Education, Kenya, emphasized that, “Evidence must guide how we design, implement, and improve our education policies. As Kenya continues to advance reforms in areas such as competency-based education, teacher professional development, inclusion, and data systems, our focus must be on using evidence to make better decisions for learners,” said Dr. Abdi.

Speaking on behalf of the African Union, Mr. Lukman Jaji, Officer in Charge at the African Union’s Pan-African Institute for Education for Development (AU-IPED), underscored the importance of credible, timely, and actionable education data in strengthening education systems. He highlighted AU-IPED’s role under the GPE KIX Africa 19 Hub in supporting peer learning, knowledge exchange, and the use of continental tools such as the AU EMIS Norms and Standards to strengthen education data systems and decision-making across Africa.

Opening discussions also highlighted Kenya’s growing leadership in education data systems and peer learning. Kenya’s work in strengthening its National Education Management Information System was recognized as a good practice, with the country scoring 313 out of 404, or 77 percent, in the AU EMIS peer review process.

The meeting also provides an important platform for regional and inter-country learning. Mr. Hassan Mohammed Ali, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education, Somalia, reflected on the importance of evidence-informed reform in contexts where education systems are rebuilding and strengthening institutional capacity.

Ms. Joy Nafungo, Senior Programme Specialist at IDRC, emphasized that GPE KIX supports countries not only to generate evidence, but also to strengthen how evidence is used for policy uptake, system improvement, and scaling.

The meeting is expected to generate practical actions for strengthening evidence uptake, improving coordination among GPE KIX projects and policy institutions, and supporting Kenya’s efforts to align evidence with education reform priorities for sustained system-level impact.

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