Bridging the Digital Divide in Kenyan Public Universities: An Appraisal of ICT and Artificial Intelligence Readiness for Fostering Inclusive Pedagogy and Sustainable Development in Education.

Abstract

The study focused on Bridging the Digital Divide in Kenyan Public Universities: An Appraisal of ICT and Artificial Intelligence Readiness for Fostering Inclusive Pedagogy and Sustainable Development in Education. This study examined ICT and AI readiness across 10 selected public universities in Kenya, focusing on infrastructure quality, faculty competencies, institutional support, and the relationship between preparedness and teaching effectiveness. Anchored in the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989) and Diffusion of Innovations theory (Rogers, 1962; 2003), the study adopted a descriptive survey and correlational design. The respondents of the study included; faculty members and administrators. Data were collected from 480 respondents (360 faculty and 120 administrators) using questionnaires and interviews, with both quantitative and qualitative analyses employed. Findings reveal that while faculty demonstrate moderate digital literacy competencies, advanced skills such as digital content creation and AI integration remain limited. Institutional support, including policies, infrastructure, and professional development opportunities, was rated as moderate. Importantly, results show a significant positive correlation (r = .452, p < .001) between faculty preparedness and teaching effectiveness, emphasizing on the centrality of human capacity development in digital adoption. The study concludes that while ICT infrastructure in Kenyan universities has moderately advanced, AI preparedness lags, threatening inclusive and equitable digital transformation. It recommends sustained investment in ICT infrastructure, structured AI-focused training, continuous professional development, and robust institutional policies to strengthen digital ecosystems in higher education.