MAKUENI, Kenya – The Senate Committee on Education has warned that the continued neglect of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) in several counties risks undermining Kenya’s long-term education goals.
During an oversight visit to Makueni County, the committee commended Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr’s administration for making ECDE a priority, citing the county as a benchmark for others.
However, senators expressed concern over widespread underfunding, poor infrastructure, and a shortage of learning materials in other parts of the country.
Committee members said they will tour all 47 counties to assess the quality of ECDE facilities, teacher employment, and access to learning resources.
“If we fail to invest in the early years, we will be setting up our children for failure. This is the foundation of education and it must be strong,” a member of the delegation said.
Among the proposed reforms is the separation of ECDE from primary schools, a move senators believe would give the sector more independence, tailored programs, and targeted resources.
Governor Kilonzo Jr called for a dedicated national ECDE fund, saying many counties were struggling to finance early learning despite it being a devolved function.
“The national government should provide deliberate funding through grants. In the next 10 to 15 years, we should not be talking about young children studying in dilapidated classrooms without roofs,” the governor said.
The Senate committee underscored that ECDE is not just a preparatory stage for primary education but a crucial foundation for a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth.
Both levels of government, they said, must make it a priority to prevent what they described as a “slow-moving crisis” in the education sector.
