As Safaricom marks 25 years of transforming lives, the M-PESA Foundation has launched a bold new education initiative—Citizens of the Future—to reimagine learning, empower educators, and equip over 10,000 students with the skills to thrive in a digital-first world.
With a KES 30 billion investment over five years, the program aims to:
- Upgrade infrastructure in 600+ learning institutions
- Enhance ICT skilling for teachers
- Award 10,000 scholarships to senior secondary and tertiary students
- Build inclusive, tech-enabled “Schools of the Future”
“We have developed education interventions that seek to bridge the gap through innovation and material support,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom. “This is about enabling every region to have a model institution that not only trains for academic excellence, but moulds future-ready learners through digital integration.”
What Will a Citizen of the Future Look Like?
Imagine a student solving physics problems with an AI tutor, exploring ancient civilisations through immersive VR, or designing sustainable cities for 2075 using real-time data and design thinking. This is the future Safaricom envisions; one where learning is experiential, inclusive, and deeply personalised.
“In this future, technology is no longer an add-on. It is the realm of knowledge,” said Karen Basiye, Director of Sustainable Business and Social Impact. “Learning is now about unpacking complex real-world problems… designing infrastructure governance models, fashion for the time.”
Graduates will leave with micro-credentials, digital portfolios, multilingual negotiation skills, and prototypes they’ve built themselves, ready for a world that demands adaptability, empathy, and innovation.
“It’s a place that values questions as much as answers… not piling facts but building problem solvers and empathetic citizens,” Basiye added.
Schools of the Future: Inclusive, Sustainable, Digitally Integrated
The initiative will establish model institutions across Kenya that reflect the future of learning: sustainably built, digitally integrated, and inclusive of all learners.
“We are not just investing in infrastructure. We are investing in people,” said Joe Ogutu, Chairman of the Safaricom Foundation. “This program is about creating a pipeline of thinkers, innovators, and leaders who will shape Kenya’s future.”
“Technology today remains the uncompromising disruptive factor driving economic and social development,” added Nicholas Nganga, Chairman of the M-PESA Foundation. “We owe our learners and teachers an enhanced experience.”
Human Stories: From River Mud to Robotics
Nganga recalled his earliest memory of education: sitting under a tree, shaping a figurine from river mud. That moment of creativity, he said, was his first lesson in innovation.
“Education is forever an evolution… an imaginative creation by a teacher,” he reflected. “Teachers are the greatest heroes of this country.”
Michael Joseph, Safaricom’s founding CEO and Trustee of the M-PESA Foundation, shared his pride in the M-PESA Foundation Academy’s journey:
“Whenever I see those students play in the orchestra, I feel so proud. A few years ago, they couldn’t play those instruments. Now they’re graduating from global universities.”
The Academy has supported over 1,400 students, with alumni now working in global firms and leading community initiatives. As a result, the next chapter, Citizens of the Future, aims to scale that impact to 500 students annually, offering them a transformative education they might not otherwise access.
“This does indeed come at a defining moment, as we are celebrating 25 years of Safaricom, a journey anchored on our enduring purpose to transform lives. Our objective under Citizens of the Future is to enable every region to have a model institution that not only trains for academic excellence, but moulds future-ready learners through digital integration,” said Michael.
Community Engagement & National Impact
Kenyans are invited to nominate deserving schools via citizenofthefuture.org. Shortlisted institutions will receive support based on set criteria.
The initiative builds on Safaricom’s legacy of investing KES 29 billion in education, impacting over 4 million learners nationwide.
“This transformation marks our evolution into a one-stop financial services provider… Our true north remains unwavering supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises,” said Joseph.
Why It Matters
In a world shaped by AI, climate change, and shifting economies, Kenya’s learners must be equipped not just with knowledge but with the tools to lead, adapt, and innovate.
“We are creating a system that enables us to develop future-proof, adaptable, and agile natives of our future in Kenya and Africa,” said Nganga. “This is the reality we are working hard to define each day.”
Citizens of the Future is a promise: that every child, regardless of background, deserves a chance to thrive in a world we’re only beginning to imagine.
