NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 — County Governors are seeking Sh5 billion annually in additional conditional grants to support budgetary allocation for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE).
The Council of Governors Education Committee said Thursday the additional funding will be channeled to renumeration and allowances.
CoG Education Committee Chairperson Governor Erick Mutai (Kericho) said counties require additional funds to meet costs initially catered for by parents and faith-based organizations.
Mutai said counties project to spend Sh15 billion annually for ECDE and can only raise Sh10bn from own-source revenue.
He made the comments appearing before the Senate Education Committee chaired by Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu.
“At the inception of devolution, the function of pre-primary education was neither costed nor funds devolved to support the function,” the Governor argued.
“This has created a financial gap because the equitable share as currently conceived is not adequate and the disbursement to County Governments is not predictable,” he stated.
43,874 ECDE teachers
Governor Mutai said counties have employed 43,874 ECDE teachers.
Of 43,874 ECDE teachers employed by counties, 14,919 are on permanent and pensionable terms and 28,955 are on 3-year contracts.
“The Council acknowledges a third category of teachers who are engaged in ECDE centers and are termed as untrained teachers,” said Mutai.
CoG further argued that some of 2,893 teachers were absorbed into county governments from former local governments while others are employed either by the school management boards or the parents-teachers association.
The Council of Governors argued that although the functions of the ECDE were handed to them following the inception of the devolved units, the funds to implement the function have not been provided.
In addition, the annual budget allocation for the Education function (which mostly combines with gender, youth, labour, ICT, social services) is at an estimated Sh10.8billion.
Scheme of service
The cost of implementing the scheme of service by far exceeds the total budget allocation for the Education Ministry by Sh2.08 billion, a 16 per cent variance.
“Since 2013, ECDE management was devolved to counties. County governments have revamped this education sub-sector by ensuring provision of quality learning facilities,” Mutai said.
“This includes properly ventilated classrooms, safe and clean water, kitchens, furniture, toilets suitable for children, age-appropriate learning materials and play equipment,” he added.
Onboarding of teachers
Mutai told the Education Committee that the county governments of Meru, Nairobi, Embu, Machakos, Garissa, Bungoma, Samburu, and Kajiado county , Wajir, Busia, Bomet, Turkana, Lamu, Kisii, Mandera, Nakuru, Mombasa, Isiolo, Kiambu, Nyeri, Kwale, Uasin Gishu, Kisumu, and Kilifi have onboarded their ECDE teachers on the CoG scheme of service.
He stated that the Council of Governors costed the Scheme of Service in 2021 and that the simulated costing was informed by the recommended entry level Job Group for various cadres in the Scheme of Service (Certificate Assistant ECDE Teacher III -Job Group F, Diploma ECDE Teacher III- Job Group H and Graduate ECDE Teacher III- Job Group K).
The Sh15 billion estimated annual expenditure was arrived at by assuming counties employ 80 per cent of ECDE Teachers on Job Group F, 15 per cent on Job Group H and 5 per cent on Job Group K.
Nairobi City County pays a certificate holder Sh33,020, Diploma holder Sh36,220 and Degree holder Sh59,770.
In Kisumu Certificate holders earn Sh32,800 and Diploma (Sh36,000) while in Nakuru County Certificate holders earn Sh19,859.
Mombasa County pays Certificate holders Sh24,580, while in Machakos County a Certificate holder is paid Sh18,540.
In Kiambu County (Ruiru and Limuru) Certificate teachers earn Sh28,000, Diploma Sh30,980 and Graduate Sh47,900.
All other counties pay the ECDE Teachers from a range of Sh9,420 to Sh38,380.
Based on the computations, County Governments are paying the teachers above the stipulated Government Minimum wage.
