The rising number also lead to more students getting scholarships to go to China, especially sponsored by the Chinese embassy in Kenya.
As China strengthens its presence in Africa, Kenyan educational institutions are incorporating Mandarin into their curriculums. Schools and universities are increasingly hiring Mandarin teachers to equip students with this skill.
Currently, there are four Confucius Institutes at the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta Universities, Moi and Egerton Universities offering Chinese language and culture.
In addition, several Confucius classrooms have also opened in secondary schools in Kenya. Under the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) center, the Chinese language is now one of the foreign languages taught in schools.
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Chief Executive Officer Professor Charles Ong'ondo says Mandarin Chinese was introduced to Kenyan schools to fill the gap in the demand of people conversant with foreign languages.
These include Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, French, and German in the country. Chinese Mandarin was introduced in the CBC in 2017 with experts' recommendations that foreign languages should be introduced from an earlier age.The language is currently offered as a learning area from Grade Four to Grade Nine as co-curricular activities. Foreign languages are also taught in Senior schools.
"The world has become a global village and there is a lot of movement or mobility of foreigners coming to Kenya, sometimes even to have companies and establish work, potential establishments," noted Ong'ondo
"With the modernisation and industrialisation and the world moving to the East, more people are taking up the active course in the language," said Faith Nyamboki, Curriculum Development Officer- Mandarin Chinese at KICD.