Senators yesterday put Kericho Governor Dr Eric Mutai on the spot over stalled Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) classroom projects, some of which have remained incomplete since the onset of devolution. This even as the lawmakers expressed concern over the high cost of construction and the poor state or abandonment of numerous projects.

It emerged that Mutai’s administration is constructing each ECDE at a cost of Sh1.5 million, an amount the senators held is too expensive. “The size of an ECDE Classroom and the cost of constructing a classroom as recommended is Sh1.5 million and pit latrines, three-door, one for boys and a urinal and two for girls cost Sh750, 000,” said Mutai.

Appearing before the Senate Education, committee chaired by Betty Montet (nominated), Governor Mutai faced tough questions on the status of ECDE infrastructure across the county.

Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) told the Governor that he could do at least two classrooms with Sh1.5million, while further questioning why ECDE projects started in 2014 have remained unfinished nearly a decade later.

The senator added that some of the classrooms were either abandoned mid-construction or have become uninhabitable due to neglect and disrepair.

“We are in the third generation of devolution, but we still have ECDE classrooms that were either half-built or completely neglected. Can we know how many ECDE classrooms have stalled, and what is the plan to complete them?” demanded Cheruiyot.

Committee vice chairperson Margaret Kamar (nominated) echoed Cheruiyot’s sentiments, maintaining that constructing a classroom at Sh1.5million was too high.

In his defence, Mutai said that he arrived at the costing after consulting the State Department of Public Works and focusing on the specifications to ensure conducive learning. He admitted that some classrooms have stalled, those started when he was not the county chief.

The governor said that most of classrooms build before his tenure were poorly done and were not conducive for the learners. He also sought seven days to compile a report detailing the stalled ECDE classrooms.

Currently, there are 50,327 ECDE pupils in Kericho, with the county employing 1,144 ECDE teachers of which 1,086 are female and 58 are male. Out of the 1144, 1129 are on permanent and pensionable terms.