Members of the Mombasa County Assembly have raised urgent concerns over a severe shortage of teachers in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres and Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), warning that the crisis is undermining the quality of education and skills development across the county.
During a sitting of the County Assembly Committee on Labour and Public Service Administration, legislators said the staffing imbalance had reached critical levels, with overcrowded classrooms and overstretched instructors struggling to meet learner needs.
Committee Chairperson Jacktone Madialo described the situation as alarming, particularly in ECDE centres where foundational learning is most vulnerable. “The numbers simply don’t add up. Some centres have overwhelming enrolment but very few teachers, which directly affects the quality of learning. We cannot continue to ignore this,” he said.
According to Dr Mbwarali Kame, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education and Vocational Training, Mombasa currently has 335 ECDE teachers serving 10,630 learners, which is far below the Ministry of Education’s recommended ratio of one teacher for every 25 pupils. Dr Kame acknowledged a shortfall of approximately 90 ECDE teachers and said his department was engaging the County Public Service Board and the Department of Finance to fast-track recruitment.
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The committee also heard that vocational centres are facing a parallel crisis. Chaaani Ward MCA Frankline Makanga revealed that only 11 staff members are currently deployed across all VTCs in the county, forcing institutions to rely on casual workers paid through capitation funds. He warned that the arrangement violates human resource protocols and risks compromising the credibility of vocational training.
“This approach is unsustainable. We need structured recruitment and sufficient staffing if we are serious about equipping young people with skills,” Makanga said.
Following the deliberations, the committee directed the Department of Education and Vocational Training to collaborate with relevant offices and submit a progress report within two weeks outlining steps taken to address the staffing crisis.
Legislators emphasized that without immediate intervention, the gaps in ECDE and vocational staffing would continue to erode access to quality education and stall Mombasa’s efforts to strengthen its early learning and technical training sectors. The issue is expected to feature prominently in upcoming budget and policy discussions.
By Masaki Enock
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