- ECDE officers have petitioned the Senate over salary stagnation and pension disparities following their 2015 transfer from TSC to county governments.
- Lead petitioner Peter Makara has told the committee that officers have not received promotions since 2015, apart from normal annual increments.
- The Senate committee has resolved to summon TSC, the Council of Governors, the Retirement Benefits Authority and other institutions to explain the transition and propose remedies.
By Jeff Kirui
More than 300 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) officers have petitioned the Senate over salary stagnation, pension disparities and stalled career progression following the transfer of their functions from the national government to county governments.
The 313 officers, who were formerly employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), appeared before the Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee on Thursday to seek redress over the manner in which their employment was transitioned during the implementation of devolution. The petition, presented by lead petitioner Peter Makara, challenges the recategorisation of the officers after they were transferred to county governments in 2015.
According to the petitioners, they were initially trained teachers employed by TSC on permanent and pensionable terms before being appointed as ECDE programme officers under the Ministry of Education. However, following the devolution of ECDE functions, they were moved to county governments, a transition they say disrupted their salary progression, pension arrangements and other employment benefits. Makara told the committee, chaired by West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor, that the officers had not received promotions since 2015 apart from normal annual salary increments. “Since 2015 we have not had any promotions other than just the normal annual increments. We have had a salary freeze,” he said.
The petitioners said TSC issued them with last pay certificates after the transition, effectively freezing their pensionable service at 2015 and cutting them off from subsequent national salary reviews and promotions. The issue of whether the officers voluntarily moved to county governments also emerged during the hearing. Some senators interpreted a TSC release letter as indicating that the officers had been given an option to remain with the commission as teachers and seek deployment, while those who remained in ECDE would be absorbed by county governments. However, a retired ECDE officer disputed the interpretation, saying the arrangement left officers with little practical choice.
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She told the committee that the impact of the transition had followed her into retirement. She retired on a basic salary of Sh67,000 but currently receives a monthly pension of Sh35,000. She contrasted her pension with that of a colleague who remained under TSC, who retired on a basic salary of Sh64,000 and receives Sh47,000 monthly. The retired officer said she had been informed by Treasury officials that there were problems with her records but was referred back to TSC for correction.
The officers also raised concerns over conflicting pension arrangements adopted by different county governments. Some counties enrolled them in contributory pension schemes, including CPF and LAPTRUST, while others reportedly declined to enrol them because they were already members of the national non-contributory pension scheme. The senators said the matter required a coordinated response involving both national and county institutions.
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The committee resolved to summon TSC, the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee, the Council of Governors, the Retirement Benefits Authority, the Director of Pensions at the National Treasury and representatives of county pension funds. The institutions will be required to explain how the transition of the officers was handled and propose measures to address the outstanding salary, career and pension concerns. Committee members included Vice-Chairperson Crystal Asige, former Senate Speaker Stewart Madzayo, Joe Nyutu, Seki Lenku, Miraji Abdullahi and Beth Syengo.
Senators said the objective was not to reverse devolution but to establish whether gaps occurred during the transition and determine how affected officers could be assisted. For the petitioners, the Senate intervention has renewed hope that their long-standing grievances could finally be resolved. “We believe that this is the right place where our prayers have been received and heard. We are very positive that you will assist us,” Makara said.
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