Demotion of 1,652 ECDE Teachers Puts West Pokot Governor in the Spotlight

Demotion of 1,652 ECDE Teachers Puts West Pokot Governor in the Spotlight.

On Tuesday, West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin faced intense scrutiny from the Senate over his administration’s decision to reverse the promotion of over 1,650 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers from contractual to permanent and pensionable terms.

This reversal followed a previous decision made by former Governor John Lonyangapuo, who had promoted the teachers in July 2022, only for the current administration to rescind it.

According to the Senate Committee on Education, the West Pokot County Public Service Board had confirmed all ECDE teachers as permanent and pensionable on July 19, 2022, with the resolution taking effect from August 1, 2022.

However, Governor Kachapin’s administration suspended this decision on September 21, 2022, shortly after he took office.

Governor Kachapin Defends Decision

While appearing before the Senate Committee chaired by Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, Governor Kachapin was questioned about his administration’s drastic action, which appeared to violate legal procedures.

Kachapin argued that the promotions were politically motivated by his predecessor as a campaign strategy to gain favor from the teachers. However, the committee remained unconvinced.

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Senator Johnes Mwaruma of Taita Taveta pointed out the contradiction in the Board’s actions, questioning how they could revoke employment terms that had already been confirmed through official letters.

He highlighted that the teachers were issued permanent and pensionable status but had this revoked without sufficient explanation.

Teacher Grievances and Unfair Practices

West Pokot Senator raised the issue before the Senate, emphasizing the teachers’ frustrations over poor remuneration and unequal job classifications.

He noted that some trained ECDE teachers were categorized as clerks. Senator Murgor accused Governor Kachapin of pressuring the Board to reverse the earlier resolution, asking if the governor was engaging in political maneuvering similar to that which he accused his predecessor of.

In response, Kachapin stated that the promotions were hastily implemented just 20 days before the August 2022 elections without proper budgeting.

He claimed that his predecessor had allocated Sh480 million for the promotions but with no clear financial backing.

The governor also disclosed that his administration has now budgeted Sh60 million for promotions in the fiscal year ending June 2025, albeit under different terms.

Ongoing Legal Disputes

Governor Kachapin acknowledged that while the county had issued new employment letters to the teachers, some have taken the matter to court to contest the revised terms.

The county currently employs 1,652 ECDE teachers, 1,089 of whom are on contract, with the remainder classified as casuals. Notably, 1,194 teachers are registered with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), while 458 remain unregistered.

Several senators, including Peris Tobiko, challenged Governor Kachapin’s decision to revoke the previous promotions only to offer different terms, implying political motives behind the move.

Senator Margaret Kamar further warned that the county government risked losing the legal battle if the teachers proceeded with court action.

During the committee hearing, West Pokot County Public Service Board Chairperson John Matakou contradicted the governor’s timeline, revealing that they had received advice to promote the teachers in April 2022.

However, delays from the county’s finance department meant the confirmations were not made until July 18, 2022.

Matakou clarified that the promotions were revoked when the finance department indicated that there was no budget to support the changes, extending the teachers’ contracts by 18 months until December 2023.

Salary and Teacher Qualifications in Question

The committee also raised concerns over the county’s remuneration practices. Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu highlighted that some teachers were being paid as little as Sh6,000, far below the minimum wage, calling the situation discriminatory.

It was also revealed that the county had employed untrained Form Four leavers to teach in ECDE centers, a move Senator Nyutu criticized as illegal, given the requirements of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

The county defended this decision, stating that these untrained teachers work under the supervision of CBC-trained counterparts and are paid Sh8,000 per month.

Summary of Issues Raised:

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