US freeze on funding for 'Tusome' plan threatens literacy gains

The United States government has dealt a huge blow to President William Ruto’s administration by canceling the Tusome literacy programme, which was funded through the US Agency for International Development (USAid).

The decision follows President Donald Trump’s recent directive to freeze nearly all foreign aid projects and move USAid under the control of the US State Department.

The ripple effects of this decision are expected to severely impact the education sector, which has relied on billions of dollars in USAid funding to improve literacy rates over the past decade.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), for instance, receives about Sh3 billion annually, towards printing, evaluation and distribution of Grade 1 to 3 textbooks.

Numeracy levels

The initiative was vital in the distribution of textbooks to public schools, ensuring a 1:1 textbook-to-student ratio and improving literacy outcomes nationwide.

Questions now emerge whether the government will be able to step up its financial commitment to education or forge new partnerships to sustain the progress made under Tusome.

Tusome, meaning “Let’s Read” in Kiswahili, was launched in 2015 with an Sh11.5 billion grant from USAid to enhance reading skills among nearly eight million Kenyan children.

The program rode on the success of a prior project aiming to improve numeracy and mathematics among learners in school dubbed Primary Mathematics and Reading initiative by the Ministry of Education. Initially, USAid and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) supported the Tusome program, with DFID contributing Sh645 million before leaving the project.

USAid played a crucial role by providing technical support, strategic guidance, and funding that enabled the initiative’s national rollout.

Under the project, it was agreed that USAid would invest $1 or Sh129 for every $0.70 or Sh90 contributed by the Kenyan government to sustain early primary education efforts.

Willy Kuria, the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman said the end of Tusome could also impact teacher training and professional development.

Silas Obuhatsa, the National Parents Association chairman argues that the abrupt funding withdrawal may put strain on the government’s education budget which is currently the highest.