Mathioya primary schools receive mobile laboratories

A mobile lab that is fitted with all equipment necessary for learning/ ALICE WAITHERA

Twenty primary schools in Mathioya, Murang’a county, now have fully equipped mobile labs, boosting science education and supporting effective implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum.

The laboratories were flagged off at Kamune Grounds through a partnership between the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) and the School Equipment Production Unit (Sepu).

Each of the selected schools received its own complete laboratory unit, ensuring learners have direct and consistent access to practical science facilities.

MP Edwin Mugo said the initiative was informed by the need to bridge the infrastructure gap facing many primary schools that lack permanent laboratories.

Under the Competency-Based Education, practical learning is mandatory, yet constructing conventional laboratories in every school would require millions of shillings and several years to accomplish.

Each mobile laboratory costs Sh250,000, making it a cost effective and timely alternative to brick and mortar structures.

“This is much more convenient than building a physical laboratory. It is sizeable enough to fit learners inside and can be moved,” the MP said.

He said this is the second batch of mobile laboratories provided through the NG-CDF to support science learning.

Each beneficiary school now owns a complete unit fitted with the required equipment for conducting science practicals.

Elisha Busienei, the chairperson of Sepu Board, said the laboratories are designed to be moved from one classroom to another within the same institution, making them practical for schools with limited space.

He said the new curriculum demands extensive practical sessions and the mobile units ensure schools which have not established conventional laboratories are still able to meet curriculum requirements.

“You can have the lab in Grade 4 in the morning and Grade 6 in the evening and they have been fitted with all the necessary equipment,” Busienei said.

The launch was attended by senior government and education officials, reflecting the importance attached to the project.

NG-CDF chief executive officer Yusuf Mbuno praised the fund for its sustained investment in education, noting that many learning institutions are constrained by inadequate infrastructure.

Since its inception, he said, the fund has supported the establishment of more than 3,000 new schools countrywide while also renovating existing institutions and constructing additional classrooms.

For schools in Mathioya and across Murang’a county, the 20 mobile laboratories mark a transition from largely theoretical learning to practical scientific exploration.

With growing emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics pathways in senior school, the units provide a practical response to resource shortages that have historically disadvantaged rural learners.

Parents and pupils who attended the event expressed optimism the new equipment will enhance understanding of scientific concepts and improve performance in national examinations by increasing student engagement.