BY SHABAN OMAR
Kwale County Government, in partnership with Theirworld and Fanikisha Foundation, is set to amend the 2016 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) Act to improve the quality of early learning in the region.
Speaking at the county headquarters, Governor Fatuma Achani said that the revised law is expected to be ready by September.
She said that the current law is outdated and requires adjustments to enhance the quality of ECDE services.
Governor Achani noted that ECDE is a devolved function, and the existing legislation has certain limitations that hinder funding from development partners.
She said the proposed amendments aim to address the challenges and create a more effective framework for financial support and program implementation.
“ECDE was devolved and Kwale has invested a lot in it but because of financial constraints partners like Theirworld are coming in to support,” she said.
Achani said the proposed law is yet to go for public participation so that every Kwale citizen can contribute to improving the early childhood education.
The governor said the county government, alongside its partners, is committed to ensuring that young learners in Kwale receive a strong educational foundation through improved policies and increased investment in early childhood education.
She said that, to date, Kwale County has constructed over 570 ECDE centers and employed 912 qualified teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.
Achani further said that the ECDE facilities are well-equipped with modern learning and social amenities to enhance the quality of early childhood education.
“Our ECDE centers include classrooms, offices, toilets, kitchens, and play equipment to create a conducive learning environment for young children,” she said.
She added that the ECDE centers have a feeding program to support children’s nutrition and enhance learning.
Additionally, she said the county provides pupils with free learning materials to ensure access to quality education for all young learners.
She said that the county’s dedicated efforts to improve education have led to an increase in enrollment in early childhood education facilities, allowing more children to access quality education.
The President of Theirworld, Justin Van Fleet, commended the Kwale County Government for its efforts in improving early childhood education.
“We are really happy with the work that has been done here in Kwale. It sets a good example not just for the county but for Africa and the global community as well,” he said.
Fleet and his team had toured Kwale for benchmarking and to understand how the County has successfully implemented the Early Childhood sector by enhancing a conducive learning environment and examining the policies that govern the sector.
He praised Kwale’s strong political leadership for prioritizing and investing in early childhood education, noting that many countries are doing far less to improve education for young learners.
Van Fleet highlighted the global challenge of inadequate funding for early childhood education, emphasizing its critical role in children’s development.
“The funding around the world is not enough to support children, despite this being the period when 90 percent of their brain development occurs. Yet, we are investing less than two percent of our education budgets in preschools and the essential services they deserve,” he said.
