Education Ministry to Integrate Spanish Language Teaching in Schools After Kenya’s High-Level Meeting With Spain

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Education Ministry to Integrate Spanish Language Teaching in Schools After Kenya’s High-Level Meeting With Spain.

The Government of Kenya has agreed to increase Spanish language teaching in the country’s education system after a meeting with senior officials from the Kingdom of Spain.

Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, confirmed the development after meeting with Diego Martínez Belío, Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain, on 9 July 2025.

In a statement, PCS Mudavadi said the talks were based on the long-standing cooperation between Kenya and Spain, particularly Spain’s technical and educational support to Kenyan institutions. Mudavadi noted that Spain’s assistance through the Foreign Service Academy has helped Kenyan diplomats acquire Spanish language and cultural competencies.

Mudavadi said: “As part of deepening the long standing ties between Kenya and Spain, I met with Mr. Diego Martínez Belío, Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain.” He added: “We looked at how we can work with the Ministry of Education to make Spanish more available in our schools.”

The PCS said plans are underway to integrate Spanish more into the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum, including exploring ways to make Spanish more accessible at primary and secondary levels.

Currently, Spanish is an optional subject in the CBE framework and is only available in Senior School between Grades 10 and 12. In Senior School, learners can choose the Social Sciences Pathway and select the “Languages and Literature” track which has Spanish as one of the optional foreign languages. French is the most taught foreign language in public secondary schools and has historically been the preferred examinable subject.

Beyond education, Mudavadi said Kenya and Spain will expand cooperation in multiple sectors. These include tourism promotion, agricultural partnerships and technology exchange programmes.

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Mudavadi also said the Government of Kenya is looking at adapting Spain’s Mercado de San Miguel, a famous fresh food market in Madrid. The model combines traditional fresh produce retailing with modern amenities such as banking facilities, conference spaces and family-friendly services.He said: “That’s in line with President Ruto’s vision of having world class markets for our products at home and abroad.”

The meeting was part of the overall talks to deepen Kenya-Spain ties in diplomacy, culture and economy.

Education Ministry to Integrate Spanish Language Teaching in Schools After Kenya’s High-Level Meeting With Spain.