Nakuru: The County Government of Nakuru is distributing assorted learning materials to 1,073 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres across the County towards strengthening of foundational learning systems. The distribution exercise was flagged off at Menengai Social Hall with Nakuru East and Rongai sub-counties being the first beneficiaries before the exercise is extended to the other 11 sub-counties.
According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative is being implemented through the Department of Education. County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education, ICT, e-Government and Public Communication, Zipporah Wambui, stated that the initiative seeks to strengthen foundational learning by ensuring pre-primary pupils have access to adequate and age-appropriate resources.
During the launch, Ms Wambui emphasized that the distribution of materials aligns with the county’s mandate to build a solid educational foundation. She highlighted that early childhood education provides the foundation upon which a child’s future learning and development is built.
The CECM noted that by providing adequate learning materials, the county is supporting teachers to deliver effective lessons while creating a conducive environment for young children to realize their potential. She added that Governor Susan Kihika’s administration would continue investing in ECDE infrastructure, learning resources, and teacher capacity to boost early literacy and numeracy across all grassroots facilities.
Chief Officer for Public Participation and Citizen Engagement, Edward Gitau, stressed the importance of collaboration among the county government, teachers, parents, and community leaders to translate educational investments into improved learning outcomes. Under the Constitution, pre-primary education and vocational training are devolved functions managed by county governments.
Gitau mentioned that educational investments in Nakuru aim to bridge equity gaps across its urban, peri-urban, and rural settlements. The distribution of instructional materials complements broader child welfare programs, including the Lishe na Mama fortified feeding initiative, which provides daily meals in public centres to boost learner retention and health outcomes.
He reaffirmed that Governor Susan Kihika’s administration had prioritized the integration of Special Needs Education (SNE) at the foundational level through routine developmental screenings and the provision of specialized assistive tools to ensure inclusive learning environments. These efforts align with national educational reforms under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) framework, emphasizing activity-based learning, early literacy, numeracy, and holistic child development in pre-primary grades (PP1 and PP2).
Nakuru’s diverse landscape, which spans urban centers, peri-urban settlements, and rural farming blocks, requires sustained investments in physical infrastructure, child-friendly sanitation, and specialized teaching aids to guarantee equitable access to quality education. The County Government of Nakuru reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining funding for foundational learning, ensuring every child in Nakuru accesses quality and affordable early education.
