Kenyan language assistants prepare for teaching placements in France through an education exchange programme.
The 2026–2027 cohort includes 90 new language assistants and 79 returning participants who will teach English in French primary and secondary schools.
A total of 169 Kenyan language assistants are preparing to travel to France to teach English during the 2026–2027 academic year, extending an education exchange that Kenya joined in 2019.
The group comprises 90 first-time assistants and 79 returning participants. Their assignments in French primary and secondary schools will run from October 2026 to April 2027.
Figures provided by the French Embassy place Kenya first in Africa for participation in the programme, sixth globally and fourth among countries supplying English-language assistants. About 650 Kenyans have participated since the country joined.
Education exchange strengthens bilateral ties
Speaking at a reception at the French Embassy in Nairobi, French Ambassador to Kenya Wadid Benaabou described the initiative as a practical way of strengthening relations between the two countries through direct contact between their citizens.
He encouraged the assistants to represent Kenya during their stay and, on returning home, help Kenyans better understand France. He also noted growing interest among Kenyan students in studying in France and among French higher education institutions in Kenya.
Benaabou urged the participants to encourage other Kenyans to explore higher education opportunities in France, saying the number of Kenyan students there had increased but could grow further.
The wider programme draws around 4,500 students from across the world each year. Participants travel to France to teach languages including English, German, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin and Arabic.
Language skills linked to overseas opportunities
Kenyan officials presented the programme as both an educational exchange and a route to professional experience abroad, highlighting the value of learning additional languages.
Secretary for Diaspora, Investment, Skills and Expertise Isaiya Kabira said a lack of second-language skills had prevented some Kenyans from taking up overseas opportunities, including in Germany and Japan.
He encouraged the departing assistants to develop professional networks during their placements and connect with Kenyan diaspora communities. Kabira also placed the initiative within Kenya’s broader efforts to deepen educational exchanges, cultural cooperation and ties with France.
Beyond classroom work, the assistants are expected to introduce aspects of Kenyan culture to the communities where they will serve while gaining international exposure and teaching experience.
Selection, training and future applications
The assistants were selected through the Embassy of France and the Alliance Française network in Kenya. Applicants were required to have attained at least B1-level proficiency in French, alongside other selection criteria.
Pre-departure training took place from September 21 to 24 through Alliance Française centres in Nairobi and Mombasa, working with the Lycée Français Denis Diderot in Nairobi. Four assistants who performed best in French also received Air France tickets.
The French Embassy said the placements often give participants their first experience of travelling abroad and their first professional teaching assignment. The programme can also open up possibilities for further study in France.
Principal Secretary for Higher Education and Research Beatrice Inyangala urged the assistants to acquire knowledge and ideas they could bring back to Kenya while ensuring the exchange benefited their French hosts as well.
She encouraged them to share Kenya’s languages, music, food, innovations and experiences, and to return with fresh perspectives that could contribute to the country’s development.
Applications for the 2027–2028 programme are expected to open in January 2027.
