The Senate Committee on Education has commended Kirinyaga County for progress made in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) reforms, while raising concerns over infrastructure gaps, staffing disparities, childcare services, and delayed salary remittances for teachers.
The Committee, chaired by Senator Betty Montet, held a consultative meeting with Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and the County Executive team as part of an ongoing nationwide assessment of ECDE and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) implementation across all 47 counties.
Speaking during the session, Senator Montet noted that the Committee had so far engaged 32 counties, with Kirinyaga becoming the 33rd county to appear before the Committee in the exercise aimed at strengthening Senate oversight on devolved education functions.
Governor Waiguru, accompanied by Acting Chief Officer for Education Rose Wachira and Acting County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education Millicent Ngari, presented a comprehensive report on the status of ECDE and vocational training centres in the county.
According to the report, Kirinyaga County currently has 372 ECDE centres — 202 public and 170 private — serving 24,499 learners across the five sub-counties. Boys account for 50.8 per cent of enrolment, while girls make up 49.2 per cent, indicating near gender parity in access to ECDE services.
The County further reported that public ECDE centres have a teacher-learner ratio of 1:30, while private institutions stand at 1:20. Public centres enrol 14,361 learners supported by 482 teachers, while private centres serve 10,138 learners with 510 teachers.
The Committee was informed that following devolution, Kirinyaga County absorbed 426 ECDE teachers who had previously been employed by parents. In the 2022/2023 financial year, 410 teachers were transitioned from casual employment to permanent and pensionable terms.
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Governor Waiguru said the move significantly improved teachers’ remuneration, with salaries for the lowest-paid teachers increasing from approximately Ksh11,000 to Ksh22,000, while the highest-paid teachers now earn up to Ksh49,570. The County has also recruited an additional 66 teachers to replace those who exited through natural attrition.
Members of the Committee praised the County for reforms within the sector, particularly improvements in teacher welfare and learner support initiatives.
Senator Catherine Mumma lauded the County for the structured presentation of its report, the enhanced salary scales for ECDE teachers, and the provision of free school uniforms to learners.
“I commend Kirinyaga County on the manner in which they have presented their report. I also commend the County on the salary scales for ECDE teachers and the provision of free school uniforms, which is a commendable incentive to learners,” she said.
However, Mumma sought clarification on the County’s draft ECDE policy and the level of public participation undertaken during its development.
“It is important to establish whether every child eligible for ECDE is actually accessing school, because the ages between 0 and 7 years are critical in shaping the nation during the formative stages of child development,” she noted.
The Senator also raised concerns over the safety and management of ECDE centres located within primary school compounds, questioning whether the County had entered into formal Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with host schools.
In response, the County indicated that 195 of the 202 public ECDE centres are situated within primary schools, six are stand-alone centres, while one operates within an informal settlement scheme.
Governor Waiguru said the County was prioritising equitable distribution of ECDE centres to improve access across the region, while acknowledging that no formal MoUs currently exist with host schools.
“We recognise the importance and relevance of formalising these arrangements and are considering implementation of the same,” she said.
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The Committee also raised concerns over the limited number of public childcare facilities, with Montet observing that most existing childcare centres appeared to be privately operated.
On staffing matters, Senator Seki Lenku sought clarification regarding 11 teachers classified under “Others” in Job Group F and questioned whether they possessed the required qualifications.
Governor Waiguru explained that the teachers were inherited from former local authorities and are currently undergoing further certification and training facilitated by the County Government.
Lenku further questioned the absence of a school feeding programme despite provisions under the ECDE Act. In response, the Governor attributed the situation to financial constraints, saying the County had not experienced severe nutritional challenges among learners.
“At the moment, many parents are still able to provide nutritional meals for their children,” she said.
Chairperson Betty Montet emphasised that ECDE is a fully devolved function and called on counties to fully assume responsibility for its implementation and management.
“It is important that counties fully take charge of this mandate as we continue to distinguish functions between the National Government and County Governments,” she stated.
Concerns were also raised over sanitation facilities, infrastructure costs, and disparities in teacher-learner ratios across sub-counties.
Nderitu Kinyua sought clarification on sanitation gaps identified during assessments conducted in 2025 and questioned whether ECDE uniforms issued to learners were standardised countywide.
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Governor Waiguru said the County currently uses two colours — green and blue — for ECDE uniforms after abandoning an earlier proposal to adopt four different colours for each sub-county due to financial constraints.
She also highlighted the County’s “Wezesha Mama Programme,” which trains women to produce school uniforms, hospital linen, and other supplies to promote local economic empowerment.
Murango, while commending the County for improving teacher remuneration, raised concerns over delays in salary remittances and inconsistencies in teacher-learner ratios across some sub-counties.
“The ratio varies significantly in some areas, with figures as high as 1:60 and 1:47 in some sub-counties, and this remains a concern. We must also ensure consistency in the distribution of learning materials to learners,” he said.
Governor Waiguru attributed salary delays to late disbursement of funds from the National Exchequer but assured the Committee that interventions such as additional teacher recruitment and classroom expansion were underway to address the challenges.
The Committee was also informed that Kirinyaga County has launched a pilot digital learning programme in partnership with Longhorn Publishers and Safaricom through the “LoHo Learning” platform.
The initiative, currently being implemented in five schools across the county’s five sub-counties, provides curriculum content aligned to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). The County has already trained ECDE teachers and heads of institutions participating in the pilot phase.
On policy matters, Governor Waiguru informed the Committee that the draft ECDE policy had already been submitted to the County Assembly and was awaiting public participation before advancing to the next stage.
The Committee also discussed support for graduates from vocational training centres, with Kinyua seeking clarification on whether learners receive start-up tools after completing training.
Governor Waiguru said some graduates receive tools directly from the County Government, while others benefit from support offered through development partners.
In her closing remarks, Montet commended Kirinyaga County for achieving high ECDE enrolment rates, describing the progress as a positive step towards strengthening foundational learning.
Governor Waiguru thanked the Committee for the engagement and reaffirmed the County’s commitment to implementing the recommendations raised during the session.
“We have taken note of the areas that require improvement within ECDE and VTCs, and we look forward to continued collaboration with the Senate in making ECDE learning more accessible and effective for our children,” she said.
By Juma Ndigo
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