Early childhood and development education (ECDE) teachers in Elgeyo Marakwet county have something to smile about after the county through its governor Wisley Rotich announced a decent salary increment. The governor made the announcement during a state of the county address at the county assembly.
In his address, the governor mentioned that for each ECDE teacher in the county, they’ll receive a pay rise of Ksh. 4,000 each. That means that the first cohort will receive Sh18,000, while the second cohort receives Sh16,000, and the third cohort will earn Sh14,000 after the increment.
He continued to acknowledge the fundamental importance of ECDE teachers in building the educational foundation for the county’s children. All looks good for the teachers in the county as the governor also revealed plans to confirm more teachers and increase their salary by a similar amount in the forthcoming financial year.
Additionally, the governor indicated that besides the salary increment, other investments were being made in education within the county as well. He continued to reveal that the county has since allocated Sh15 million as capitation to ECDE centers in nine wards. This is meant to improve the functioning of the units, including supporting school meal activities that aim to attract and retain young learners while also improving their diet.
Governor Rotich also discussed how technical education is improving, mentioning that there was a significant rise in the number of students at Vocational Training Centers. He stated that the number of students in these institutions is now 3,800, which has increased from 1,800 during the year 2022.
In addition, the governor mentioned the achievement of the Pepea student airlift program. This program has successfully sent over 100 students to various universities and colleges around the world. Through Pepea airlift program, he said that the county had successfully sent more than 100 students to different colleges and universities overseas. These include students who have been awarded athletic and academic scholarships in the USA and Canada.