Murang’a County Governor Irungu Kang’ata has defended the county’s decision not to place Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.
Speaking in an interview with Nation FM on April 28, Kang’ata said that employing about 1,000 teachers on permanent terms would raise personnel costs and force the county to cut essential services such as school feeding programs and healthcare supplies, or reduce staff numbers.
“And if Murang’a County employs those teachers, PNP, it will mean their salaries will almost go huge. They are about 1,000, but the cost implication when we calculate goes to almost Ksh300 million per annum, extra burden on the county,” he said.
Kang’ata Says Murang’a Cannot Absorb 1,000 ECDE Teachers on Permanent Terms
He said Murang’a already spends heavily on personnel, with employee compensation taking up 52 percent of the county budget and nearly 70 percent when related expenditures are included, warning the county risks breaching limits set under the Public Finance Management Act.
The governor argued that granting the demand could trigger layoffs affecting other county workers and undermine service delivery for the county’s 1.1 million residents.
Kang’ata said the matter is also before the court, with an application expected in May, even as talks with the teachers continue despite a stalemate over salary demands.
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He added that the county has offered to address some concerns, including differentiated pay based on qualifications and provision of teaching tools, while proposing a phased approach to improving terms.
The governor also linked the county’s position to fiscal sustainability, noting Murang’a’s own-source revenue has grown from about KSh500 million annually to KSh1.3 billion last financial year and is projected to reach KSh1.6 billion this financial year.
He said the increase has helped stabilize salary payments and avoid job cuts, warning that taking on additional recurrent obligations could reverse those gains.
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Phased Approach in ECDE Teachers’ Permanent and Pensionable Push
On April 15, Kang’ata called for dialogue to resolve concerns raised by ECDE teachers in Murang’a County.
During his State of the County Address at the Murang’a County Assembly, Kang’ata said the ECDE teachers’ push for permanent and pensionable employment should be handled through consultation and a phased implementation approach rather than immediate full adoption.
He noted that while the teachers’ concerns were valid, the county government must make staffing decisions based on prevailing fiscal realities to avoid straining public finances.
The governor said the county currently spends about 60 percent of its total revenue on salaries and wages, a level he described as above the 35 percent threshold set under public finance management regulations.
He further stated that the High Court had directed county governments to align with the legal wage bill ceiling within three years, reinforcing the need for gradual adjustments.
Kang’ata maintained that ECDE teachers could still be absorbed into permanent and pensionable terms over time, but warned against abrupt commitments that could destabilize service delivery and county operations.
