Murang’a ECDE teachers have vowed not to resume work until the county government places them on permanent and pensionable terms.

The move escalates a long-running standoff over pay, job security and employment status.

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The teachers, who staged fresh protests in Murang’a town, accused the county administration of undervaluing their role in the education sector and keeping them on contract for years despite their professional qualifications.

ECDE educator Mary Nzioka said they want to be treated as teachers rather than caregivers, insisting that their qualifications and duties warrant formal recognition and better employment terms.

“We acquired certificates, diplomas and degrees, but the county government refers to us as caregivers. We are demanding our title and respect as teachers,” Nzioka said.

She added that the teachers want their salaries aligned with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission scales, saying their current pay is too little to sustain their families.

The teachers also opposed reported plans by the county to continue hiring ECDE staff on contract, insisting that both current teachers and interns should be absorbed into permanent terms because they are fully qualified professionals.

The county has about 1,200 ECDE teachers serving about 648 centres.

Murang’a ECDE Teachers chairperson James Mwangi said the educators had reached a breaking point after years of neglect and broken promises by the county government.

He argued that Murang’a was lagging behind neighbouring counties such as Kiambu, Nyeri, Kirinyaga and Makueni, which he said have already employed ECDE teachers on permanent and pensionable terms despite facing similar financial pressures.

Mwangi dismissed the county’s explanation that the number of ECDE teachers in Murang’a made their absorption financially difficult, noting that other devolved units with significant workforces had still managed to regularise similar staff.

“We are informing you that these teachers are tired. From today, they have declared they are tired,” he said.

The teachers further accused the county government of misplaced priorities, alleging that funds were being directed to other programmes while education workers remained underpaid and on insecure contracts.

They cited initiatives such as the Inua Mkulima programme, school feeding schemes and support for boda boda riders as examples of initiatives they believe should not take precedence over improving teachers’ welfare.

Nzioka said many ECDE teachers struggle to educate their children despite spending their days teaching young learners in county schools.

“It deeply pains us as teachers when you go to class to teach and your child is at home, sent away for school fees,” she said.

The educators claimed some teachers have served on temporary arrangements for more than a decade, while interns have remained in internship positions for several years without confirmation.

They argued that keeping teachers on contractual terms for extended periods contravenes fair labour practices and undermines morale in the county’s early learning institutions.

The strike threat comes weeks after Governor Irungu Kang’ata ruled out the immediate conversion of ECDE teachers to permanent and pensionable terms, citing financial constraints and legal restrictions on county wage expenditure.

Addressing members of the county assembly earlier this month, Kang’ata acknowledged the legitimacy of the teachers’ grievances but said the county must operate within the law and avoid unsustainable wage commitments.

According to the governor, Murang’a currently spends approximately Sh417 million every month on salaries, with Sh350 million going to the county executives and Sh67 million to the county assembly.

He said the county’s average monthly revenue stands at Sh690 million, including Sh640 million from the national exchequer and around Sh50 million generated locally.

Kang’ata noted that the wage bill already consumes more than 60 per cent of county income, far above the 35 per cent ceiling set under the Public Finance Management (County Governments) Regulations, 2015.

“This means a painful truth. A small number of employees consumes two thirds of resources meant for over one million residents,” Kang’ata said.

The governor maintained that his administration would instead pursue dialogue and phased reforms to address the teachers’ concerns without jeopardising the county’s fiscal stability.