The Senate Standing Committee on Education has raised concerns over teacher shortages, inadequate learning facilities and delays in food provision at Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres in Machakos County, calling on the County Government to address the gaps and improve learning conditions for children.

Led by Committee Chairperson Sen. Betty Montet, the Committee made the observations during an oversight visit to Kyanguli and Manza ECDE centres, as well as Kalumoni and Kyemutheke Vocational Training Centres (VTCs). The Committee also held a courtesy call with Machakos Governor H.E. Wavinya Ndeti at the County headquarters, where it engaged the County leadership on the implementation of devolved education functions.

The visit sought to assess the implementation of devolved education functions, the state of ECDE facilities and the quality of training and resources available at VTCs.

At the ECDE centres visited, the Committee noted staffing gaps, with some institutions relying on teachers employed by parents. Sen. Kinyua Nderitu expressed concern that parents contribute approximately Ksh. 500 per learner each month towards teachers’ salaries, placing an additional financial burden on families already facing economic challenges.

Our recommendation is that the County Government increases the number of teachers. Teachers should be employed and paid by the County Government so that the burden does not continue to fall on parents,” he stated.

Sen. Kinyua further raised concern over delays in food provision, noting that learners at one of the centres had reportedly gone for a month without receiving food supplies. “We would urge the County Government to ensure that food is delivered on time so that the children can continue learning well and remain in school,” he urged.

Sen. Agnes Kavindu Muthama similarly called for accelerated recruitment of ECDE teachers, noting that some parent-employed teachers earn less than Ksh. 5,000 per month. “I would really urge the County Government to quicken the process of employing teachers so that they can all come to class and teach without the challenges that the parent-employed teachers are facing,” she said.

She also called for better facilities for young learners, including mattresses for children during rest periods and separate classrooms for Playgroup and PP1 learners. “If they have to have Playgroup, it should not be mixed with PP1. They should have a separate class so that the PP1 learners can concentrate on their studies,” she emphasised.

The Committee also noted significant disparities among the VTCs visited, with one institution facing inadequate equipment and low enrolment, while Kyemutheke VTC had well-equipped training facilities, boarding accommodation and a substantial student population.

Sen. Prof. Margaret Kamar observed that the contrasting conditions provided the Committee with an opportunity to assess both the challenges and progress in the County’s vocational training sector. “We have seen a vocational training institution that lacked a lot of equipment, and we are now in their best institution, which is very well equipped. It is when we come to the ground that we get to understand the different models of vocational training centres,” she said.

She urged the County Government to invest more in institutions facing equipment and staffing gaps, noting that “the institution we came from, which was the worst-case scenario, is the one we have recommended that the County invests more in, recruits more teachers and ensures that there are equipment and teaching materials for the students.”

At Kyemutheke VTC, the Committee commended the County Government for its investment in vocational training. Sen. Montet noted that Machakos County had graduated approximately 1,000 trainees earlier in the year and was targeting a further 1,700 graduates by the end of October 2026.

“What has impressed us a lot is the model they are using on VTCs. They graduated 1,000 trainees about six months ago and are going to graduate another 1,700 at the end of October. This shows that Machakos County has taken great concern in skilling its young people,” she noted.

Sen. Montet further welcomed the County’s provision of start-up kits to VTC graduates, noting that the initiative could help young people establish businesses and become economically independent. “Every graduate who comes out of this VTC is given a start-up kit so they can go and start their own businesses. That is encouraging, and we want to congratulate the Governor on that initiative,” she said.

She encouraged the County Government to strengthen VTCs across all eight sub-counties and equip them to expand access to practical skills. “We encourage the County to take care of the other VTC centres in the other sub-counties and equip them so that young people can acquire skills and even export those skills to other countries,” she added.

Sen. Kavindu also called for similar investment across the County, noting the contrast between the facilities visited. “Keep it up, Governor, but concentrate also on the other centres because those ones need to be equipped as well,” she urged.

The Committee urged the County Government to prioritise teacher recruitment, timely provision of food and improvement of ECDE infrastructure and learning resources, while strengthening equipment and training facilities in VTCs.

The visit forms part of the Senate’s oversight mandate to monitor the implementation of devolved functions by County Governments and promote accountability in the utilisation of public resources.