The Council of Governors (COG) has rejected the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party of Education Reforms (PWPER) on Early Child Development Education (ECDE).
In a statement on Wednesday, CoG’s Legal, Constitutional Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations and the Education Committee argued that the recommendations are unacceptable as they heavily claw back on Devolution.
The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms in its report in 2023 recommended that ECDE centres be managed by one head of institution.
The report also proposed the Ministry of Education, the COG, and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) develop an inter-governmental agreement on hiring and renumerating pre-primary teachers to ensure harmonization of pay.
The governors have objected to the recommendations arguing it undermines the basic structure of the Constitution of Kenya.
“The recommendations of the PWPER are unacceptable to the Council as they heavily claw back on Devolution. Therefore; COG categorically does not agree & rejects the recommendations in entirety to the extent that they undermine the basic structure & framework of the constitution,” the statement read in part.
The CoG also withdrew its participation in any process that seeks to legislate the recommendations.
“The Council of Governors hereby withdraws its participation from any process that seeks to legislate the recommendations contained in the report. This includes the proposed meeting called by Inter-Governmental Relations Technical Committee scheduled for 16th January 2023,” added the statement.
CoG insisted that County Governments will continue to manage ECDEs as constitutionally assigned to them.
“The County Governments will continue to manage both the institutions and human resources for the constitutionally assigned functions in Education. A convening of any devolved sector forum will strictly be done between the two levels of government and no other entity.”
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