The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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The Council of Governors (CoG) asserts that there has been no agreement between the State and county governments to facilitate the transfer of the management of early childhood development and education centres (ECDE) to the national government.
The Governors’ stance comes in response to Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu’s recent announcement that primary school head teachers will assume control of the centres starting January 2024.
If the proposed move is executed, these centers, which have been under the jurisdiction of county governments since the advent of devolution, will be shifted to the national government.
In a letter addressed to CS Machogu on December 28, CoG Chairperson Anne Waiguru emphasized that ECDEs fall under the purview of counties, and there has been no formal agreement to change the existing arrangement.
“To date, no intergovernmental agreement has been established between the two levels of government,” stated the Kirinyaga Governor in the letter obtained by Citizen Digital.
While acknowledging the CoG’s support for reforms in the education sector, Waiguru asserted that the management of the centers will remain under the authority of county governments until a formal agreement is reached.
“We recognize the recommendation of the Presidential working party on education reforms; however, the implementation should strictly adhere to the provisions of Article 187 of the constitution, which outlines the parameters for the transfer of functions and powers between the two levels of government,” she remarked.
