Governors have urged the Ministry of Education (MoE) to withdraw a controversial circular that merges the training of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers with that of primary school teachers, warning that the move undermines specialisation and threatens devolution.
Speaking during the Senate’s Assessment and Planning Retreat in Naivasha, Council of Governors Education Committee chairperson and Kericho Governor Erick Mutai said counties reject the scrapping of the stand-alone ECDE diploma programme. “The curriculum of ECDE training is specialised and globally recognised for preparing teachers as caregivers. Merging it with primary training denies children access to quality caregivers meant for that level,” Mutai said.
He revealed that the Council of Governors had formally written to PS Bitok requesting a recall of the circular to allow for consultations. Mutai also criticised the withdrawal of government funding for students pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in ECDE, noting that some learners are already enrolled in the programme and risk being disadvantaged.
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The directive, issued on January 19 by Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, consolidated the Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE) and the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) into a single qualification; the Diploma in Teacher Education Pre-Primary and Primary (DTE PP&P), was intended to harmonise teacher training within basic education, but it immediately sparked resistance from county governments, legislators, and teacher unions.
On February 3, senators opposed the move, warning that the merger threatens devolution and could destabilise early learning in counties. The Senate Education Committee argued that the directive contravenes constitutional boundaries by shifting control of ECDE teacher training to the national government, despite the function being devolved. Senators further questioned the fate of students and colleges currently operating under existing ECDE guidelines, stressing that early learning demands specialised training.
They cautioned that the merger risks weakening the foundation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework, which relies heavily on strong early childhood education.
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On February 9, the High Court issued a temporary suspension of the circular pending further directions. Justice Lawrence Mugambi granted the conservatory order after a petition filed by the Kenya Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet). The union argued that the policy is unconstitutional and harmful to ECDE teachers and trainees, contending that it eliminates specialisation in a field that requires focused training to meet the needs of pre-primary learners.
Kuppet further stated that merging ECDE with primary education would compromise professional standards, disrupt the Competency-Based Education framework, and adversely affect foundational learning.
In his ruling, Justice Mugambi stated: “An interim conservatory order temporarily suspending the Ministry of Education circular REF: QAS/ECDE/7/1B/2/193, dated 19th January 2026, is hereby issued. This order shall remain valid until the next mention date or until further orders of this court, whichever comes first.”
The case is scheduled for mention on March 3, 2026
By Masaki Enock
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