CHALLENGES OF ACCESSING ELECTRICITY FOR ICT USE IN KENYAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: A CASE OF NANDI COUNTY

Abstract

The use of ICT in the teaching and learning in local secondary schools in Nandi County has not been realized because of challenges arising from accessing electricity. This study focused on the electric power accessibility challenges facing the use of ICT equipment in secondary schools in Nandi County. The specific objectives of the study included; the determination of the use of alternative sources of energy in schools, the investigation of factors affecting the use of the alternative sources of energy in the powering of ICT equipment in schools, and the assessment of the schools principals‘ attitudes towards the use of alternative sources of energy in local secondary schools. The study was conducted through a survey research design. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select the sample for the study. The data was analyzed by the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program. The findings of the study revealed that there was lack of electricity supply to many secondary schools; there were frequent power outages in the schools supplied with electricity; the cost of electric power use was high; the use of generators to generate electricity was expensive, and renewable sources of energy were not used to power ICT equipment in many secondary schools. The conclusions arrived at were that it was difficult to use ICT equipment in secondary schools in Nandi County because many secondary schools lacked access to electricity; there were frequent power outages in the schools supplied with electricity; cost of electricity was high; the cost of running generators were also high and there was lack of use of cost-effective alternative sources of energy. This study recommends that the government should supply electricity to all secondary schools, initiate renewable sources of energy projects to cater for the electricity deficit and the power distribution companies to use modern distribution methods to help reduce the power outages.