Read Baby Read, the literacy initiative founded by Professor Joshua Gisemba Bagaka and supported by KCA University, has held its eighth edition at Gionseri Primary School in Kisii County, reaffirming a commitment to building a lifelong culture of reading among Kenyan children from an early age and signalling ambitions to take the program nationwide and eventually across Africa.
The initiative was founded in 2018 by Professor Bagakas, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at KCA University, who promotes as little as fifteen minutes of daily reading to develop foundational literacy, comprehension and confidence in young learners. He describes it as a direct response to a gap in the education system that has long rewarded memorisation over a genuine love of reading, and as a natural fit for Kenya’s shift toward the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
KCA University has lent its institutional support to the program, helping it grow across successive editions. Professor Bagakas said the initiative was inspired by a simple conviction about planting habits early.
“When you read the Bible, we know that if you actually plant a seed in young people when they are young, you are more assured. The likelihood of them doing that when they grow up is much better,” he said. “As a university professor, I thought it was best to do that at a young age because, in that case, it’s more likely to be sustainable.” Eight editions on, he said, the results speak for themselves. “
The impact of this program has been so obvious.
The students are more proficient in reading, and not only in English; they actually become proficient even in Kiswahili,” Professor Joshua Bagaka said. “Their level of confidence, the way they express themselves, has improved so much. You can see it as these students move from first grade to second grade to third grade.” Those gains were on full display as program pioneers took to the podium to tell their own stories.
Winnie Nyang’ara, who joined Read Baby Read in grade three and is now in senior school at Nyabisase, said the program transformed a once-shy pupil into a confident speaker.
“When this Read Baby Read program got me, I was not confident enough to stand before a crowd of people and give a testimony. But now, I can stand before a crowd and talk to them,” she said. She also credited it with steadying her through the KPSEA national examinations: “When I read a question, I understand it more. Today a reader, tomorrow a leader, so read today to be a leader tomorrow.”
Fellow pioneer Gregory Obanda, who began the program at Inanidi EP Primary School and is now a student at Kebirigo National School, said reading had reshaped both his results and his ambitions.
“Through Read Baby Read, our reading improved, and that culture made us have creative ideas. The confidence we had gave us the courage to speak before a crowd of people,” he said. “Readers become leaders. If we continue to read, we will become important people in society. The fifteen minutes daily are very important for our future.”
Professor Damiannah Kieti, KCA University Deputy Vice Chancellor for Strategy, Finance and Operations, said universities carry a central responsibility for nurturing a reading culture that reaches well beyond their own campuses.
“ As a university, we have a central role to play in nurturing a reading culture in the community, and we begin with our own community, where we provide the necessary environment, a modern library where students can sit, read and read,” she said.
“For those who cannot access the library physically, we provide materials online. Through our outreach programs, we visit schools, donate books, and provide enabling facilities like computers and desks so learners can sit down and read comfortably in this digital world.”
Professor Vincent Onywera, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Outreach, thanked the Vice Chancellor and CEO, Professor Isaiah Wakindiki, for the support the university has extended to Professor Bagakas as the pioneer of the initiative, and outlined its long-term vision.
“The core mandate of KCA University is teaching, learning, research and service to the community, and this initiative sits right at the core of our values,” he said. “We desire that the initiative will expand. It will be scaled up to the entire Kisii County, the entire Republic of Kenya, and the entire continent of Africa.”
The eighth edition, hosted at Gionseri Primary School in partnership with the local school community, reflects the values KCA University champions in backing the initiative: professionalism, inclusivity, community, integrity and service. As the program’s founder and supporters put it, a reading nation is a leading nation.
