Kirinyaga county has announced the absorption of all Early Childhood Development and Education teachers into a permanent and pensionable scheme of service.
The new scheme will benefit all the 420 teachers who have been serving under three years’ contract terms.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru in a speech read on her behalf by the Education executive James Kinyua Mutugi at Kaitheri Youth Polytechnic, Kerugoya, said the new scheme will take effect from this month.
ECDE certificate holders will enter at Job Group G, diploma holders will enter at Job Group H while degree holders will enter at Job Group K.
Waiguru said the move will not only empower the teachers and facilitate their personal growth but will also motivate them to offer the best services to about 15,000 learners across the county.
She said over the past five years, her administration has supported the 198 ECDE centres through improvement of infrastructure and distribution of learning and teaching materials.
“The county has so far established 198 centres and fully equipped them, but as the need arises, we shall expand as well as increase the number of teachers,” she added.
Finance executive Jackline Njogu said to implement the scheme, the county has in the financial year (2022-23) set aside an additional Sh106 million to go into the payment of salaries under the new scheme.
This is in addition to the Sh72 million budget that has been there before. The county will also pay for the teachers’ retirement benefits through the County Pension Fund.
“Survey has shown that our continued investment in the ECDE sector has resulted in an increase in enrolment in our centres as some parents who would previously enrol their children in private centres are now settling for public ones,” she said.
Mutugi encouraged the teachers to advance their academic qualifications since the new scheme has room for promotion.
He said the delay of promotions has been due to legal frameworks and now it has been implemented in strict observance of labour laws and all relevant legal statutes.
The teachers could not hide their joy and thanked the governor for the consideration, saying that it came as a great relief to them.
Winny Wairimu, a teacher at Kimbimbi ECDE centre, thanked the county for restoring their hopes.
Another ECDE teacher, Simon Kariuki, said they are delighted to be permanent employees, giving them an opportunity to access pension upon retirement.
Lands executive Peter Kanjobe said the county will be issuing all the public primary schools with title deeds.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
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