Nairobi, March 21 -- Some 1.5 million students will receive Safaricom-assembled learning tablets in a deal that aims to scale up digital learning across the country.

This follows a partnership between the telco and Longhorn Publishers Plc that will see the learners access educational content through LoHo Learning, a digital platform created by Longhorn Publishers' subsidiary.

Under the agreement, Safaricom will assemble the tablets, provide data connectivity, and offer insurance in case of loss. A tablet and the digital learning package will cost Sh13,000, which is payable in monthly instalments for a year.

"This (the insurance cover) is very important for schools that invest in buying many tablets," said the Safaricom director for pub...