Poor facilities, teacher shortages hit ECDE centres hard
In Bomet County, senators visiting Chemobei, Sibayan and Rerendet ECDE centres found children learning in extremely difficult conditions, with some pupils reportedly forced to sleep on desks due to a lack of resting facilities and mattresses. At Sibayan ECDE Centre, learners were sharing facilities following a land dispute that disrupted normal learning operations.
The deplorable state of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres and Vocational Training Institutions across several counties has sparked concern from the Senate Standing Committee on Education, with lawmakers calling for urgent intervention to address glaring infrastructure gaps, teacher shortages, and poor learning conditions affecting thousands of learners.
The committee, led by Chairperson Betty Montet and Vice Chairperson Margaret Kamar, raised the alarm during an oversight tour of Bomet, Kericho, and Nakuru counties, where senators encountered overcrowded classrooms, inadequate sanitation facilities, insufficient learning materials, and struggling feeding programmes.
In Bomet County, senators visiting Chemobei, Sibayan and Rerendet ECDE centres found children learning in extremely difficult conditions, with some pupils reportedly forced to sleep on desks due to a lack of resting facilities and mattresses.
At Sibayan ECDE Centre, learners were sharing facilities following a land dispute that disrupted normal learning operations.
The committee also criticised the county’s feeding programme, questioning its effectiveness after learning that children receive only 200 millilitres of milk twice a week despite substantial allocations towards ECDE nutrition initiatives.
Laikipia Senator Nderitu Kinyua said proper nutrition was critical in ensuring children remained active and focused in class, while Senator Ole Kanar Seki stressed that young learners deserved safe and dignified learning environments.
At Rerendet ECDE Centre, senators found learners studying inside a temporary store structure located within a tea buying centre, exposing children to constant noise and distractions from commercial activities.
The committee blamed delays in settling a Sh500,000 land payment dispute for the continued displacement of learners.
Senator Agnes Kavindu Muthama termed the situation unacceptable, insisting education should remain a top priority for county governments.
Similar concerns emerged in Kericho County, where the committee faulted county authorities over inadequate classrooms, lack of independent ECDE management structures, teacher shortages, and the absence of feeding programmes in some centres.
At Kachawir ECDE Centre, once infamous after pupils were forced to learn under trees, senators acknowledged improvements in classroom construction but noted shortages of desks and other essential facilities still persisted.
Meanwhile, vocational training institutions also came under scrutiny.
At Emkwen and Chepseon vocational training centres, senators cited inadequate infrastructure, limited training equipment, and insufficient staffing levels.
In Nakuru County, the committee found severe congestion at Race Track ECDE Centre, which hosts over 300 learners across only five classrooms.
Senators further noted that parents were paying school fees to support the salaries of Board of Management teachers due to a shortage of county-employed instructors.
The committee concluded that counties must urgently increase investment in ECDE and vocational training programmes, warning that failure to improve infrastructure, nutrition, and staffing could undermine the quality of education and skills development for young learners across the country.
