Overcrowding, Poor Sanitation and Low Pay Are Exposed in Murang'a ECDE Centres

Public early learning centres in Murang'a County have been criticised in a new audit report. Concerns about learning quality, teacher welfare and parental costs have been raised.

The performance audit was conducted by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu. The review period was set from the 2022/2023 financial year to March 2026.

Many public ECDE centres were found to be understaffed and overcrowded. Their learning environments were also reported to fall below national standards.

Only 204 of the 669 public ECDE centres were found to meet the recommended ratio. The recommended ratio was set at one teacher for every 25 children.

Each pre-primary class was found to have only one teacher. Two teachers per class were recommended instead.

Employment terms for ECDE teachers were also questioned by the report. By September 2025, 1,052 ECDE teachers had been employed by the county.

About 93 per cent of these teachers were employed on contract. The remaining seven per cent were engaged as interns.

Interns were paid Sh10,000 a month. Contract teachers were paid Sh17,520 without extra allowances or benefits.

Similar salaries were questioned for teachers with different qualifications. A starting salary of about Sh20,000 is set for the lowest cadre.

Investments were made in ECDE infrastructure between 2022/2023 and 2024/2025. Classrooms were built in 161 centres and rehabilitated in 327 others.

Sixty ablution blocks were also constructed by the county. However, the infrastructure deficit has not been fully addressed by these investments.

Eight of the ten sampled centres were found to have too few classrooms. At Matindi ECDE Centre, two classrooms were used by 141 learners.

Cracked walls, uneven floors and leaking roofs were recorded during inspections. These defects were found in three of the sampled centres.

Disability-friendly classrooms were not provided in any sampled centre. Eight sampled centres were not painted in the recommended primary colours.

Furniture was judged to be in good condition at only three of the ten centres. Broken or unstable desks were found in seven of the centres.

Sharp edges and protruding nails were also identified on furniture. Young learners could be exposed to injury by these hazards.

A total of 518 centres, or 77 per cent, were found inside primary school compounds. Shared latrines with older learners were judged inconsistent with national policy.

Even centres with toilets of their own were found to fall short. The one-toilet-per-ten-girls standard was met by none of five centres.

The one-toilet-per-30-boys ratio was met by only two sampled centres. Handwashing stations and disability-friendly toilets were also found lacking.

Payments to support teachers and daily operations were made by parents at six sampled centres. Such charges are prohibited in public ECDE centres.

At Mukuria ECDE Centre, Sh1,265 per term was paid by parents. The money was used to support a BOM teacher and a watchman.

At Mangi, Sh1,500 per term was collected for lunch and repairs. Smaller sums were charged at Ngurwe-ini, Kimorori and Majikiboko.

Equal access to early childhood education was flagged as at risk by such payments. Children from poor households could be hit hardest.

Clear remedies have been proposed in the report. Recruitment of more teachers, better pay, renovated classrooms and safer sanitation are called for.

Future county planning is expected to be guided by the report. Better learning conditions for young children are hoped for by many.