By Denis Lumiti
1,901 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers in Kakamega County have received a pay rise.
The county government said the teachers would now be paid Ksh. 16,000 up from Ksh. 8,000 per month.
Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said they would also employ more teachers to man the 266 centres because there was still a shortage.
‘Enrolment in ECDE centers in the county had increased from 3,055 in 2013 to over 124,000 in 2021,’he said.
The governor said the increase was boosted by their move to roll out free ECDE education.
Dr. Oparanya also pointed out that the county government had so far spent over Ksh. 2 Billion towards various education programmes.
The funds were spent on building, renovating and expanding primary and secondary schools, county polytechnics and ECDE centres.
He said other funds were utilized on bursaries and county Higher Education Loans Board loans, besides hiring of instructors for polytechnics.
The governor further said the county had partnered with the Kenya Literature Bureau to print and publish branded learning materials that have been distributed to the ECDE centres and polytechnics.
“In total we have spent Ksh. 49,398,164 on ECDE teaching and learning materials and Ksh. 24,149,860 for polytechnics,” he added.
The governor also said that they are changing the terms of service for the polytechnic instructors from contractual to permanent and pensionable.
The county boss said his administration had invested Ksh. 156 Million towards equipping of polytechnics.
He further said they had spent another Ksh. 860 Million on infrastructure development in public schools.
He pointed out that the county had also spent Ksh. 100 Million on the county HELB loans programme with 7,523 students benefiting.
“We have, at the same time, supported the education of 1,101 trainees in various learning institutions under the Afya Elimu Yetu Loans programme,” he said.
The governor was speaking at the Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega town when he launched the distribution of furniture to the ECDE centres across the county.
The desks were made by selected county polytechnics at a cost of Ksh. 54.5 Million.
