By: Grace Waithaka
After ODM party leader Raila Odinga mentioned about education devolvement during Homabay devolution day event, this has raised issues from Education leaders and stakeholders declining his suggestion.
“Kenya’s devolution of education which was established by the 2010 Constitution has faced many challenges, while the national government retains control over primary, secondary, and higher education. County governments are responsible for Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE), technical and vocational training (TVET) institutions, such as village polytechnics”. They said,
Funding and Resource Allocation Karinga said is one of the main challenges where inadequate funding and slow disbursement of funds from the national government to county government, financial constraint directly affects the quality and availability of educational services. Many counties struggle to provide sufficient resources for things like teacher salaries: ECDE teachers, who are employed by county governments, often receive poor pay and work on contract terms, which lead to low morale and high staff turnover.
Infrastructure: There’s a persistent lack of adequate classrooms, furniture, and sanitation facilities in many ECDE centers.
Instructional materials: Schools often lack essential teaching and learning materials, forcing parents and the community to bear the burden. Policy and Governance
Another major challenge is the lack of a clear, unified policy framework and a fragmented governance structure. There is often confusion and friction between the national Ministry of Education and county governments regarding their respective roles which lead to:
Lack of coordination: The national government sets the curriculum and standards, but the counties are responsible for implementation and management of ECDE. This creates a disconnect, as county-level issues like teacher capacity and resource availability may not be fully aligned with national policies.
Poor enforcement of standards: With varying levels of capacity and resources, some counties struggle to enforce quality standards in ECDE centers. This can lead to a significant variation in the quality of education from one county to another.
Limited capacity: Many county governments lack the necessary technical expertise and institutional capacity to effectively manage the education function. This includes a lack of trained staff for planning, budgeting, and oversight. Human Resources and Quality of Teachers
The management and quality of the teaching force present a significant hurdle. While the national Teachers Service Commission (TSC) manages teachers for primary and secondary schools, the counties are responsible for ECDE teachers. This dual system has led to disparities in terms of:
Teacher training and qualifications: There are often inadequate numbers of trained ECDE teachers.
Remuneration and terms of service: The poor pay and temporary contracts offered by some counties for ECDE teachers lead to a lack of motivation and high attrition rates.
Teacher deployment: The unequal distribution of teachers, with some areas having a high teacher-to-pupil ratio, further strains the system and affects learning outcomes.
Suleiman Mbatiah 
James Wakahiu