Provision of Education to the ‘Hard to Reach’ Amidst Discontinuity in Nomadic Communities in Kenya

Abstract

Abstract This study explores why nomadic children in the counties of Turkana and West Pokot are left behind in the primary education process despite free primary education (FPE), and considers the variables that contribute to high dropout rates, low enrollment, poor attendance, and unsatisfactory academic achievement with a view of bringing out possible strategies to mitigate against these factors of discontinuity. Based on a study conducted in two counties in Kenya, results suggest that formal education in Kenya has not effectively served the nomadic communities. Education indicators in these counties revealed that nomadic groups are at the bottom in national statistics pertaining to enrollment rates, school participation, classroom performance, gender balance, student achievement, progression to the next level of education and by extension training.