Education CS Julius Ogamba and Basic Education PS Julius Bitok during the release on verification of student enrolment at Jogoo House on February 12, 2026. /FILE




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The Ministry of Education has highlighted concerns over the development of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) and Vocational Training (VTC) at the county level, noting that gaps in attention could affect foundational skills development central to the country’s economic agenda.

The ministry pointed to the absence of a clear policy on capitation support for ECDE and VTC learners, while the national government continued to allocate significant resources to secondary and tertiary levels of education.

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These observations were made in the 2026 Budget Policy Statement and Medium Term Expenditure Framework tabled before the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Education on Thursday.

The ministry indicated that available data suggest ECDE and VTC have not consistently received focus in some counties, even though the two subsectors are devolved under the constitution.

It noted that the 2026 Budget Policy Statement primarily addresses education policy at the national level and provides limited guidance on county-level education policy.

“Though the BPS has highlighted key policy directions at the national level, it has not given the slightest attention with regard to the education sector at the county level. The policies on implementation of the Early Childhood Education and Vocational training at the county level need to be provided,” the ministry said.

The ministry observed that limited funding has contributed to challenges within the ECDE and VTC subsectors.

It highlighted gaps in financial support for the ECDE school feeding programme policy, which has resulted in learners in some counties not receiving meals, and in others, meals that vary in standard.

The ministry noted that such variations may affect enrolment in these institutions, potentially limiting access to foundational education and skills development.

It also reported that infrastructure in ECDE and VTC institutions remains uneven across counties, alongside non-standardised human resource policies for ECDE teachers.

These conditions, it stated, have contributed to low remuneration, limited career progression, and heavy workloads for some teachers.

To address the gaps, the ministry outlined measures for consideration by the parliamentary committee.

“The committee may propose implementation of the following options: The national government provides additional resources to support the ECDE school feeding programme. The county governments through the Council of Governors develops a policy on capitation support to ECDE and VTC learners in the next fiscal year,” the ministry said.

The proposed measures were linked to the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which focuses on investment in education, skills development, scientific training, and innovation.

“From the above areas, it is clear that education and skills development has been identified as a central nerve of economic growth and development,” the ministry said.

It added that the education sector is expected to support the five core pillars of BETA: agricultural transformation, growth of micro, small and medium enterprises, housing and settlement, healthcare, and the digital superhighway and creative industry.

“Therefore, it is an expectation that allocation of resources to this sector speaks to the centrality of the sector in the overall development agenda of the country,” the ministry said.

The ministry welcomed ongoing reforms in the education sector, noting that within the next three years, the Competency-Based Education system will be fully implemented at the basic education level and transition into tertiary education, including Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions and universities.

It emphasised that adequate and coordinated funding across national and county levels will be important to sustaining this transition and ensuring alignment with the broader economic transformation blueprint.