NAIROBI, Kenya, August 17, 2026 — Cabinet Secretary for Education Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba on Monday 17th August 2026 hosted Dr. Tony Devine, Ed.D., Vice President for Education at the Global Peace Foundation International, alongside education stakeholders for discussions on character development, discipline in schools and the transformation of Kenya’s education system.
The meeting brought together officials from the Ministry of Education, the Global Peace Foundation, representatives of private schools, parents and education leaders as Kenya explores new approaches to nurturing responsible, competent and values-driven young people.
Welcoming the delegation, CS Ogamba described the Global Peace Foundation and other education stakeholders as important partners to the Ministry, particularly at a time when Kenya is undertaking significant reforms in the education sector.
“The work that we do is critical for our Ministry, and the support that we get from all of you quite helps us in this process of trying to reform our education sector,” Ogamba said.
He said the Ministry valued partnerships that advance values-based education and invited the stakeholders to present their proposals before agreeing on practical areas of collaboration.
Delegation and Stakeholders
The Global Peace Foundation delegation and education stakeholders attending the meeting included:
* Dr. Tony Devine, Ed.D. – Vice President, Education, Global Peace Foundation International
* Mr. Daniel Juma – Africa Regional Representative, Global Peace Foundation Kenya
* Ms. Rose Eteye – Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Private Schools Association
* Mr. David Silas – Chairman, National Parents Association
* Dr. Moses Wokono – Chairman, Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training, and Director, The Excellence Schools
Also participating in the stakeholders meeting were:
* Dr. Gichuki Ndegwa – Ministry of Education
* John Wabwire – Legal Advisor, Ministry of Education
* Maureen Kemunto – Education and Peace Building Program Manager, Global Peace Foundation
* Vincent Ayako – Youth Leadership Development and Environment Program Manager, Global Peace Foundation
The diverse representation reflected the meeting’s emphasis on a whole-of-society approach to education, bringing together government, schools, parents and civil society.
From Knowledge to Character
Presenting the Global Peace Foundation’s Transforming Education Blueprint, Dr. Devine said education systems around the world were undergoing a fundamental transformation, accelerated by the rapid development of artificial intelligence.
He said the traditional education model had for generations been centred heavily on the acquisition, memorisation and testing of knowledge, but AI had made knowledge increasingly accessible.
“When knowledge is everywhere, knowing is no longer the edge,” Dr. Devine said.
He argued that education must consequently move “from information to formation”, with greater emphasis on developing the whole person.
“We have to shift from knowledge first to whole person first,” he said.
Dr. Devine said character, relationships, physical and emotional wellbeing, creativity, problem-solving and the practical application of skills would become increasingly important in preparing young people for the future.
He noted that employers were already looking beyond academic qualifications to qualities such as integrity, trustworthiness, work ethic, teamwork, initiative and problem-solving ability.
Africa’s Youthful Population a Major Opportunity
Dr. Devine described Africa’s youthful population as one of the continent’s greatest resources, arguing that the central question for education systems should be not merely how many children attend school, but what kind of adults those children will become.
He said Africa had the opportunity to make a leap in education similar to the technological leap it achieved through mobile communications and mobile money.
Rather than simply replicating traditional models developed elsewhere, African countries could pioneer systems that place character, competency and whole-person development at the centre of education.
Kenya at the Heart of GPF’s Transforming Education Work
Dr. Devine said Kenya has played an important role in the Global Peace Foundation’s education transformation journey.
GPF has advanced its Transforming Education mission for more than a decade and has maintained a longstanding partnership with Kenya’s Ministry of Education.
The meeting formed part of the global launch of GPF’s Transforming Education Blueprint, which promotes character formation, competency, innovation and whole-person development.
Dr. Devine’s professional profile identifies him as the architect of initiatives including the Character and Creativity Initiative, Leap Hubs and Great Places to School.
He is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the 2nd International Conference on Curriculum Development in Kampala, Uganda, on August 20–21, 2026, taking the Transforming Education conversation to education leaders from across Africa.
Building on Earlier Engagement with the Ministry
The meeting also represented continuity in the relationship between the Global Peace Foundation and Kenya’s Ministry of Education.
Dr. Devine previously engaged former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on character education and the shared responsibility of schools and parents in nurturing responsible citizens.
His return to the Ministry under CS Ogamba therefore provides an opportunity to move from dialogue towards deeper institutional collaboration.
GPF had formally sought the engagement to discuss practical responses to school unrest through values-based education, positive school culture, character and leadership development and stakeholder participation.
Discipline and Character Development in Schools
The meeting discussed growing concerns over indiscipline, unrest and fires in schools, with stakeholders calling for greater attention to the underlying causes rather than merely responding to incidents after they occur.
Participants highlighted character formation, parenting, school culture, student leadership, teacher-student relationships, counselling, peer pressure, bullying, substance abuse, social media and the emotional wellbeing of learners as areas requiring greater attention.
The meeting also raised concern about the growing use of vapes and electronic cigarettes among school-going children, including reports from some private and international schools.
Stakeholders called for closer cooperation among schools, parents and relevant government agencies to prevent substance use and other emerging threats to learners.
Education, AI and the Future of Work
The meeting acknowledged that artificial intelligence and other technologies are rapidly changing both education and the workplace.
Dr. Devine argued that while knowledge remains important, education systems must increasingly prepare students to apply knowledge responsibly and creatively.
Character, collaboration and the ability to solve problems, he said, will become increasingly valuable as AI makes information easier to obtain.
The discussion therefore placed particular emphasis on ensuring that young people are not only technologically competent but also guided by strong ethical values.
Preparing Today’s Learners for Vision 2060
Participants also linked education transformation to Kenya’s broader National Conversation Beyond Vision 2030 towards Vision 2060.
They observed that the students currently sitting in Kenyan classrooms will become the professionals, entrepreneurs, parents, public servants and national leaders who will shape Kenya in the decades ahead.
The meeting therefore underscored the principle that:
The Kenya of 2060 is already sitting in our classrooms today.
Stakeholders argued that Kenya’s long-term development must focus not only on physical infrastructure and economic growth but also on building a generation characterised by integrity, responsibility, creativity, resilience, peaceful coexistence and respect for others.
Proposed Task Force on Character and Discipline
As a major way forward, CS Ogamba indicated that the proposed Task Force on Character Development and Discipline in Schools would provide an opportunity to develop a more comprehensive response to indiscipline and emerging challenges affecting learners.
The Cabinet Secretary invited the Global Peace Foundation and education stakeholders represented at the meeting to contribute their expertise to the proposed Task Force once it is formally constituted, in accordance with applicable government procedures.
The proposed initiative is expected to examine areas including character and values education, school unrest, student leadership, parenting, guidance and counselling, vaping and substance abuse, bullying, responsible technology use, teacher capacity and stronger cooperation between schools, families and communities.
The aim would be to develop practical, measurable and scalable interventions capable of preventing indiscipline while strengthening positive school culture.
The Global Peace Foundation’s Character and Creativity Initiative provides one potential source of experience. Dr. Devine’s professional record notes that an independent assessment by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis found improvements in academic performance, reduced violence and stronger school culture.
From Conversation to Action
The meeting concluded with a shared understanding that education must increasingly be judged not only by what learners know, but also by who they become.
For Kenya to achieve its ambitions towards Vision 2060, stakeholders said the country must invest deliberately in both the competence and character of its young people.
The challenge for education is therefore not merely to build better schools, but to nurture better human beings capable of building a better Kenya and a better society.