Kenya boosts China ties via teaching of Mandarin

With a growing number of students enrolling in Chinese language programs, Kenya is preparing to extend Mandarin from universities to classrooms across the country — from rural primary schools to national high schools — as part of a sweeping educational reform.

The Kenyan government has launched a high-level initiative to incorporate the Chinese language into its national education curriculum, marking a significant step in strengthening cultural and educational ties with China.

The Ministry of Education has constituted a Joint Technical Committee tasked with steering the rollout of Mandarin across all levels of learning — from primary, secondary schools to tertiary institutions in partnership with Chinese educational bodies.

Carol Hunja, secretary for Higher Education and Research, affiliated with Kenya's Ministry of Education, said the initiative is part of Kenya's long-term strategy to prepare graduates for global opportunities while enhancing bilateral ties with China.

"The Joint Technical Committee comprises experts from the Teachers Service Commission, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, and other key education agencies," Hunja said in an interview. "They are pivotal to the success of this program."

The effort is being supported by the Chinese embassy in Kenya and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, with technical backing from China's Center for Language Education and Cooperation, or CLEC. The initiative will be implemented in phases, beginning with a pilot program in selected schools.

Hunja said Chinese and Kenyan experts are co-developing curriculum frameworks and teaching materials, with a view to integrating Mandarin into the core curriculum.

"Chinese language teachers will participate in a pilot program that builds toward full integration," Hunja said. "This will inform how the language can be rolled out nationwide."

To support the initiative, Kenya is investing in the training of local Chinese language instructors. The University of Nairobi currently offers programs that prepare teachers, many of whom travel to China for further certification under joint training initiatives.

More students

Wang Shangxue, Chinese director at the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, says more than 2,000 students registered for the Chinese language course last year, compared with 1,522 in 2023, showing a growing interest in learning the Chinese language among Kenyans.

Once certified, these teachers will be deployed to Kenyan learning institutions to fill the staffing needs for the rollout.

One of the largest efforts underway is a 2+2 training program run in partnership with Tianjin Normal University in China, where Kenyan students spend two years in local training before completing their certification in China.

"This year in September, first cohort of 24 Kenyan students will go to Tianjin Normal University to be trained as future Chinese teachers under this program," said Wang.

Wang notes that a lack of trained teachers remains a primary challenge in scaling up Chinese language instruction at the basic education level. She urged more Kenyan universities to introduce Chinese language programs to provide continuity for returning graduates.

Wang said the biggest motivation for the increased growing number of students enrolling for the Chinese language course is availability of online classes and also the Chinese Bridge competition since it has been bringing more students as audience.

The expansion of Mandarin education in Kenya also reflects a broader diplomatic and economic partnership between the two countries. Kenya views the Chinese language as a tool not just for education but for global economic integration.

"We are opening up the Kenyan graduate market to global opportunities through labor mobility," Hunja said.