Nyamira County Public Service Board has renewed employment contracts for 473 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers.
Board chairperson Dr. Peter Kereri confirmed to press yesterday that they have renewed contract terms for 473 ECDE teachers in the county out of 503 contracted previously to last them a period of three years.
“The board has been undertaking a rigorous exercise of authenticating all academic and professional certificates and testimonials of all the ECDE teachers whose contract expired in the month of May this year to be sure that they comply with government’s revised minimum requirements of employing ECDE teachers in this country before they could approve renewal of their contracts,” Dr. Kereri stated.
“It is not guaranteed even by law that when an employee’s contract expires, it’s to automatically be renewed. Rather, it depends on fresh terms and conditions which any interested person who meets the minimum qualification requirements is legible to apply,” the public service board chair clarified.
The Board’s Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Ms. Ann Mwasi also confirmed that she has signed all the letters and the teachers who qualified have been contacted to come and pick their contract letters.
“By end of the month of May this year when first phase of ECDE teachers’ contract term expired, there was a total of 503 ECDE teachers in the county but after a fresh thorough vetting exercise of the teachers’ credentials by the board in collaboration with Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) and Teachers Service Commission (TSC), 473 qualified and are the ones the board is issuing three-year-contract term appointment letters commencing January 2020,” Ms. Mwasi commented.
Nyamira County ECDE director Rachel Okongo told the media that issuing of appointment letters to ECDE teaches was a big relief to her because children at ECDE suffered the entire third term of the schools’ calendar since there was no one to instruct them a scenario her office was not able to address as the County Public Service Board had not been instituted.
“I’m optimistic that come January next year, the teachers whose employment contracts have been renewed are now reenergized and motivated to professionally and tirelessly serve in ensuring that they give our young ones the best foundation in their pursuit of knowledge in that critical stage of their cognitive development,” Ms. Okong’o said.
County Assembly members had early last month threatened to impeach their governor and boycott approving proposed names of chief officers in various ministries and any other crucial matter before them if he was not going to reinstate ECDE teachers’ employment unconditionally on permanent and pensionable basis a scenario which paralyzed smooth execution of duty by the County’s executive.
By Deborah Bochere
