By Joyleen Akware
Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior announced that 453 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers, who had previously been on contract, have now been converted to permanent and pensionable positions.
The delay in confirming their status was attributed to budgetary constraints that affected the allocation of salaries and allowances.
“In 2014, recognizing your importance, the county government initially employed 950 of you on the contract due to budgetary limitations that delayed your conversion to permanent and pensionable positions,” Governor Mutula explained on Monday as he distributed appointment letters to the ECDE teachers.
He noted that the first batch of 497 teachers had already been transitioned to permanent positions in January, with the remaining 453 teachers promised the same in July.
Governor Mutula emphasized that this decision was not politically motivated but rather a recognition of the teachers’ dedication and hard work despite earning insufficient wages to meet their daily needs.
He expressed regret over the low wages teachers had been receiving, stating, “We can spend so much money to construct beautiful classrooms while teachers take home only Ksh5,000 or Ksh7,000. This is not humane. We apologize for what you have gone through.”
Under the new arrangement, diploma holders will see their salaries increase from Ksh20,000 to Ksh41,000 while certificate holders will receive Ksh37,000, up from Ksh17,000, along with additional allowances. The ECDE teachers will also have the flexibility to be transferred within the county.
Mutula encouraged the ECDE teachers to pursue continuous learning to stay updated with technologies and teaching methodologies, ensuring quality ECD education for young children in Makueni.