ECDE teachers protesting outside Murang'a county headquarters in April 2026/ ALICE WAITHERAMurang’a County Government has bowed to mounting pressure
from ECDE teachers by improving their employment terms through gradual salary
increments in the 2026-27 budget.
The county administration said concerns raised by the more than 1,200 Early Childhood Development and Education teachers had been addressed through budgetary allocations and consultations.
The agreed measures are set to take effect once the county assembly approves the budget estimates.
In a statement, the county government said the matter had been conclusively resolved and that many teachers had already signed up for the new arrangement.
“The county has carefully structured the agreement to ensure improved terms for ECDE teachers while maintaining compliance with existing laws and safeguarding the long-term sustainability of the county wage bill,” the statement read.
The administration added that the reforms are aimed at progressively placing ECDE teachers at par with other county employees while ensuring fairness across all categories of staff.
The county government said interns who have served for more than one year will also be absorbed into regular employment positions under the new budget framework.
Under the proposal, teachers holding degree qualifications and currently earning Sh17,000 per month will receive an additional Sh10,000, increasing their salaries to Sh27,000 from July.
Those with diploma qualifications will receive an increment of Sh6,000, raising their salaries to Sh23,000, while certificate holders will receive an additional Sh4,000 to earn Sh21,000 per month.
The statement indicated that a similar increment structure will be implemented in the following financial year, subject to the ceilings set by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
“In consideration of the revision of your terms of employment, you shall not institute, commence or pursue any claim, complaint or proceedings against the county government relating to your employment contract from the effective date of this offer,” the new contract seen by the Star reads in part.
The announcement follows months of protests by ECDE teachers demanding permanent and pensionable employment terms.
The teachers maintained that despite playing a critical role in laying the educational foundation for young learners, they continued to work under annual contracts that classify them as caregivers rather than teachers.
According to the tutors, the arrangement denied them access to better remuneration, job security and employment benefits enjoyed by other public servants.
“The deductions leave us with very little to sustain our families. It is difficult to survive on what remains,” said Caroline Wambura, one of the affected teachers.
The teachers said their gross monthly salary of Sh17,000 is reduced to about Sh14,000 after statutory deductions, including contributions to the Social Health Insurance Fund and the housing levy.
Some argued that the low earnings had made it difficult to cater for basic household needs, including food, rent and school fees for their children.
“Our children are sent home over fee arrears, yet when we apply for bursaries, we are overlooked because we are assumed to be teachers who can afford it,” Wambura said.
The county government’s move marks a shift from its earlier position in April, when Governor Irungu Kang'ata ruled out the immediate employment of ECDE teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, citing financial constraints and legal limits on county expenditure on salaries.
At the time, the governor acknowledged the teachers’ concerns but insisted that the county had to balance workers’ welfare with fiscal responsibility.
“Our ECDE teachers shape the future of this county. Their demands for better facilities, fair pay and job security are just, but leadership requires us to confront reality,” Kang'ata said.
According to the governor, Murang’a county currently spends approximately Sh417 million every month on salaries, with Sh350 million going to the county executive and Sh67 million to the county assembly.
He noted that the county receives an average monthly revenue of about Sh690 million, comprising Sh640 million from the National Treasury and approximately Sh50 million generated through local revenue collection.
The governor argued that more than 60 per cent of the county’s income is already consumed by salaries, significantly above the 35 per cent threshold provided under the Public Finance Management (County Governments) Regulations, 2015.
Budget estimates for the 2026-27 financial year show that the county has allocated Sh1.16 billion to the education sector, representing about 9.72 per cent of the Sh11.9 billion budget.
Of this amount, Sh822 million has been earmarked for recurrent expenditure, while Sh342 million will go towards development projects.
The allocation marks a significant increase from the current financial year’s education budget of Sh751 million, which catered for recurrent expenditure, including ECDE teachers’ salaries, learner capitation and the school feeding programme.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The county administration said concerns raised by the more than 1,200 ECDE teachers had been addressed through budgetary allocations and consultations, with the agreed measures set to take effect once the county assembly approves the budget estimates. Budget estimates for the 2026-27 financial year show that the county has allocated Sh1.16 billion to the education sector, a significant increase from the current financial year’s education budget of Sh751 million.
