By Fredrick Odiero
The county government of Kisumu has changed the employment terms of 665 Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) teachers to permanent and pensionable terms.
The new letters of appointment were handed over to the jubilant teachers by Kisumu Governor Professor Peter Anyang Nyong’o.
Prof Nyong’o said that as a reward for the good job they had done to the children, his Cabinet had decided to put all ECDE teachers across the seven sub counties on permanent and pensionable employment terms.
The governor, who presided over the exercise at the office of the County Public Service Board, said they had done this to motivate and enable the teachers to plan for their future and develop their careers.
“We want you to be role models in villages where you come from. You will no-longer be worried about renewal of your contracts,” he said.
He said the exercise had been done in strict observance of labour laws and all relevant legal statutes.
‘This is in line with the resolutions of the Council of Governors (CoG) in the ECDE sector during their meeting on 20th December 2021,’ he added.
Prof. Nyong’o said Kisumu County joins the list of other counties like Busia, Nyandarua, Nakuru and Bungoma that have their ECDE teachers engaged on permanent and pensionable terms.
The teachers will be under probation for six months and during the period, their competence will be assessed.
“Your immediate supervisor will assess your suitability to continue serving, advice for extension of probation or termination of the contract. We all expect you to give out your best from today,” he said.
The governor outlined that Kisumu County has 684 ECD Centers of which 627 are anchored in primary schools and 57 are stand-alone public ECD centres. The centres have a total enrolment of 52,818 children (26,003 girls and 26,815 boys).
He said a total of 112 ECD centres don’t have county teachers but plans are underway to employ and post the teachers equitably in every centre.
Prof. Nyong’o further said that the County Government had undertaken various measures to develop the sector and to ensure the foundational education is deeply
entrenched.
The measures include feeding programs which have been introduced as an intervention aimed at improving learning performance in schools through increased enrolment, retention, completion rate and 100% transition.
The governor said the county continues to ensure classrooms and toilets are constructed, good sanitation and hygiene is adhered to, inoculation and deworming is implemented, learning resources are supplied and enough teachers are deployed to the schools.
Present during the event were the deputy governor Dr Mathew Owili, County Public Service Board Chairman Babu Karan, CECM Education John Awiti and County Assembly Speaker Elisha Oraro among others.
