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MCAs vote for free early childhood education in Nakuru
The motion that seeks to make pre-primary education in the county free was sponsored by Shabaab ward representative David Wathiai and was overwhelmingly passed by Nakuru MCAs last week.
Learning in at least 2,400 registered Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres in Nakuru will be free if Governor Susan Kihika implements a motion passed by members of county assembly.
The motion that seeks to make pre-primary education in the county free was sponsored by Shabaab ward representative David Wathiai and was overwhelmingly passed by Nakuru MCAs last week.
The lawmakers said they want to make basic education accessible to all learners. Parents have been paying between Sh2,000 and Sh3,500 as fees per term.
“Early childhood education is a crucial stage of human development and we want to make it absolutely free in line with the Constitution to ensure all our children attend school and get the basic education,” stated Mr Wathiai.
Should Governor Kihika approve the House resolution, the county government will move to allocate funds for the implementation of the policy.
"We have passed the motion and now we want Governor Susan Kihika to approve it so that the county assembly can move ahead and appropriate funds for its implementation and also come up with a policy on how the capitation fund will be rolled out," Mr Wathiai said.
London MCA Bernard Gatuso said the motion was long overdue.
“The money paid at pre-primary level may look little, but it is so much for parents in this economy. We want to make it even easier for our children to get the basic education,” said Mr Gatuso.
His Elburgon counterpart Njuguna Mwaura said the move would further boost enrolment in the institutions.
"The county government has initiated a feeding programme in public ECDE centres, but it is not enough. We must solve the issue of fees paid," he said.
The multi-million feeding programme, ‘Lishe na Mama’, is aimed at increasing enrolment in the 2,400 registered ECDE centres, as well as ensuring children, mainly below five years, are healthy and attend school.
The county has set aside Sh115 million for the school feeding programme in the 2024/25 financial year.
Governor Kihika says the programme aims to boost learners' morale, combat malnutrition and create market opportunities for local farmers who will supply food.
“We are introducing ECDE centres’ feeding programme to ensure pupils get nutritious meals. The initial target is 60,571 pupils across the 11 sub-counties of Nakuru. Clean water, child-friendly toilets and hand washing facilities are also our priority," said Ms Kihika.
The programme, according to the governor, will include a bowl of nutritious porridge daily.
"The feeding programme is intended to create a conducive environment for learning and ensure children are healthy. It is further anticipated that an increase in school enrolment and retention of learners in schools will be realised,” she said.
Ms Zipporah Ngugi, the executive in charge of education in Nakuru, said the programme is already being implemented in Njoro, Kuresoi South and Kuresoi North constituencies, and will soon be rolled out in other areas.
In two years, the county has increased ECDE centres from 939 to 2,400 with the enrolment rising to about 124,000.
The county has also hired 677 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms and seeks to employ at least 159 more teachers in the next financial year.
The previous county administration had employed 177 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.
The Nation established that the county targets to have at least two teachers per centre.
“ECDE teachers do the most work out of all the teachers in the education system. Children joining school need a conducive learning environment as this forms the foundation of their education,” said Ms Kihika.
“We have built more than 35 new classrooms in the past one year at a cost of Sh41 million. We have also furnished several classes with age appropriate chairs and tables.”
Nakuru will spend about Sh2 billion in the next three years in revamping the ECDE centres.
Initially, parents had been shouldering the burden of paying ECDE teachers who were employed on contract.
Nakuru County government has also been channelling more resources in training ECDE teachers on the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), in a move aimed at building their capacity to effectively interpret and implement the new curriculum.
