Nine Members of UK Parliament, House of Commons, on Wednesday lobbied to have a statement on Education made by President Uhuru Kenyatta implemented globally.

“Can the Prime Minister ensure that the global learning crisis is high on his agenda and will he ask his amazing diplomats to ensure that every Commonwealth leader signs the Declaration of Kenyatta on education,” Harriet Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire.

President Uhuru Kenyatta while speaking during the global summit for education in July 2021, which he co-chaired with British Prime Minister Borris Johnson, called for the international community to commit to ensuring children in low-income countries receive an education.

He asked the GPE head of states to join him in endorsing a political statement to prioritize, protect and increase domestic financing towards the 20% global benchmark, to set policies that ensure financing reaches the most vulnerable, leaving no child behind, and to ensure the efficient use of resources.

President Kenyatta calls on GPE partner countries to prioritize education financing

Kenyatta also advocated for nations to invest in education at the national level, enactment of policies, incorporation of technology in learning and educating girls for a better future.

“Let us continue to invest in education by increasing the allocation of national resources. Let us continue to adopt policies that support the education sector and strive to adopt digital learning technologies in our schools and ensure that all our girls have an equal opportunity to learn for the benefit of our future,” noted President Kenyatta.

The program, dubbed the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), aimed to raise at least Ksh567 billion ($5 billion) between 2021 and 2025. At the summit, countries pledged Ksh454 billion. ($4 billion).

His statement has been endorsed by several GPE partner countries who further pledged to spend at least 20% of their national budgets on education.

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