lgeyo Marakwet has seen a significant increase in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) enrolment, with numbers growing by over 30% in the last 2 years. We now have 31,000 ECDE learners up from 26,000 thanks to the initiatives by Governor Wisley Rotich.
The county government has also prioritized ECDE teachers’ welfare. We have 946 teachers in 528 ECDE centres across the county. They are on contract terms but Governor Rotich has increased their salary from KSh 14,000 to KSh 22,000 and plans to convert them to permanent and pensionable once resources allow.
“We value the work ECDE teachers do and will do everything possible to improve their terms and conditions of service,” Rotich said.
Infrastructure and Digital Learning Expansion
To cater for the increasing number of learners, we have constructed 94 new ECDE centres and completed 37 stalled projects. Our aim is to have an ECDE unit in every sublocation so that children don’t have to walk long distances to access education.
“In areas with electricity, we ensure the centres are connected to power so that we can do digital learning,” said County Education Chief Officer Paul Ruto. Digital learning has also attracted 2,000 new learners in 17 centres.
Capitation and Nutrition Support
Elgeyo Marakwet is the only county in Kenya that provides a capitation grant of KSh 1,000 per ECDE learner to ensure children get a balanced diet while in school. Since Governor Rotich took office, he has been keen on improving facilities to support the increasing number of learners.
“Since Governor Rotich came in, he has been focusing on upgrading facilities to support the growing number of learners,” Ruto added.
Governor Rotich was recently rated as one of the best performing governors by Infotrak, a testament to his administration’s commitment to education in the county.