Governors demand Sh5 billion to implement ECD programme

Governors are demanding Sh5 billion from the national government as a conditional grant annually to enable them efficiently implement Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE).

This even as the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) denied slashing the salaries for the ECDE teachers.

During a consultative meeting between the governors, County Public Service Boards (CPSBs), National Treasury, CECs in charge of Education and SRC in 2021, CoG reported that the cost implication of implementing the ECDE Scheme of Service in all the counties based on SRC’s advice was estimated at Sh15 billion per year, to be funded through own source revenue.

“It is the responsibility of CPSBs to engage the ECDE teachers on enforceable contracts with clear terms of service. Subject to affordability and sustainability of the wage bill, the county governments may implement salary structures advised by SRC taking into account the minimum wage requirement,” said SRC Secretary Anne Gitau.

SRC chairperson Lynn Mengich further denied that the recent circular purporting that the commission had slashed the salaries is false and fake, adding that no salaries have been slashed.

The CoG argued that although the functions of the ECD was handed to them following the inception of the devolved units, the funds to implement the function has not been availed.

Own revenue streams

The move has forced governors to among other measures use the County Own Revenue streams to be used for paying for salaries.

Appearing before the Senate Education Committee chaired by Murang’a lawmaker Joe Nyutu, CoG Education Committee chair Dr Erick Mutai said that prior to devolution, the burden of providing ECDE learners with learning materials, paying ECDE teachers and running school feeding programs was majorly on parents and faith-based organizations.

“At the inception of devolution, the function of pre-primary education was neither costed nor funds devolved to support the function. 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.

Governors charged that currently, they have employed 43,874 ECDE teachers, adding that the estimated annual expenditure in the full implementation of the scheme of service will be Sh12.9billion.

Permanent and pensionable

According to the Governors, some 43,874 ECDE teachers have been employed by county governments, 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.

The County Chiefs further argued that some of 2,893 teachers were absorbed into the county governments from the former local governments or are employed either by the school management boards or the parents-teachers association.

In addition, the annual budget allocation for the Education function (which mostly combines with gender, youth, labour, ICT, social services) is an estimated Sh10.8billion.

The cost of implementing the scheme of service by far exceeds the total budget allocation for the Education Ministry by Sh2, 082, 067, 231.80, 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. This includes: properly ventilated classrooms, safe and clean water, kitchens, furniture, toilets suitable for children, age-appropriate learning materials and play equipment,” said Mutai.

Mutai told the Education Committee 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 on boarded their ECDE teachers onto the scheme of service.

According to Mutai, 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 total 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 (Minimum Basic Salary Payable).