Mr. Juma Nyamori - Head Teacher speaking during the 50th anniversary of Rusinga Schools at Nairobi Baptist Church./HANDOUT
When a seven-year-old boy was sent home with a school assignment directing him to use AI to generate a science project idea, his mother, Rachel Ombaka, wasn’t sure what to expect.
The brief was to design something that could help the environment and the child was required to use artificial intelligence to brainstorm the concept before building it.
“He typed very basic questions, the sort you’d normally ask Google,” Ombaka recalls.
“But the difference is that with AI, we could guide the search to his age level. Google can overwhelm a child with results meant for adults.”
Ombaka, like many parents, is cautious. She has strict laptop controls and regularly checks browsing history.
“Make sure that when your child is using a gadget, you know what’s happening even when you’re not there,” she advises.
For Kathleen Chepkorir, another parent, AI has offered support rather than risk. Her children, in Year 8 and Year 1 at Rusinga School, engage with AI tools in both classroom work and learning support.
“It has opened a new world for my daughter,” she says.
“It’s not just reading and understanding. AI has changed how she attempts exams and projects. The school has also taken time to show parents what AI is and how it works.”
Still, Chepkorir acknowledges the uncertainties.
“You assume AI is like having a one-on-one teacher, but you can’t see the other side of the computer. There are negatives online, so we have to be cautious about what children are exposed to.”
The conversation around AI is unfolding as Rusinga School marks its 50th anniversary. Alongside the celebrations, the school is expanding its focus on technology with the development of an innovation hub, a space for coding, robotics, programming and digital creativity.
The hub will also host the Annual Rusinga Hackathon, aimed at encouraging students to solve real-world problems.
Head Teacher Juma Nyamori says the shift is driven by the direction education is taking.
“We can see a future where education technology and AI will play centre stage,” he notes. “Rusinga wants to be a leader in innovation not only in technology but in design and other areas.”
The year-long Golden Jubilee celebrations began in March 2025, and the planned innovation hub is one of the key outcomes.
The school says the dedicated space will support both its own learners and, eventually, students and creators from other institutions.
According to Julius Karanja, the Head of Prep School, the goal is long-term.
“We want to build a centre that will benefit others too, developers, innovators, schools. Education is changing with AI and technology. It can’t remain conservative. We already see students using gadgets for research, and that’s where learning is going.”
As parents navigate new homework tasks and schools reimagine their learning environments, AI’s place in the classroom is becoming less hypothetical and more hands-on, sometimes starting with something as ordinary as an empty cereal box.
