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Litmus test for Kang’ata after striking ECDE teachers protest outside his office
11th February, 2026 03:09 PM
Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) teachers in Murang’a County have downed their tools, claiming poor pay and working conditions.
The teachers who staged a protest at the governor’s office on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, have vowed not to go back to class until their demands are met.
They claimed that they have been working on a contract basis for more than ten years, and their push to be employed on a permanent and pensionable basis has been futile.
Joyce Wanjiku, one of the ECDE teachers, said they earn a gross salary of Ksh17,000, but after statutory deductions, they take home about Ksh14,000, which is barely enough to cater for their needs.
“A majority of us were employed in 2016, and have been on contract since then despite the numerous efforts to push to be put on a permanent and pensionable basis,” Wanjiku said.
“The money we are taking home is very little, and we survive on loans which we can barely repay, and this has made our lives more difficult,” she added.
The teachers said Governor Irungu Kang’ata had promised to address their issue after he got to the office, but he has failed to keep his promise.
“We had a sitting with him and wrote down all the things we wanted him to address, but none of it has been done, and we are feeling neglected,” she added.
Further, she said, despite the critical role in shaping the foundation of learners, ECDE teachers continue to be treated unfairly compared to other public servants.
Felina Kahia, another teacher, accused the county administration of ignoring a court ruling that directed all the 1,200 ECDE teachers in Murang’a to be employed on permanent and pensionable terms.
In May 2025, the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nyeri directed the Murang’a County Public Service Board to pay the ECDE teachers their salaries and allowances as advised by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
“We want the county to honour the court order and give us the right pay just like the other civil servants,” Kahia said.
She also said she doesn’t understand why the county government is investing heavily in the infrastructure but neglects to look into their welfare.
On her part, Caroline Wambura said the meagre pay has demoralised teachers in the county, and they can barely concentrate on their work.
“Even out here, we are treated with disregard because we don’t seem to have our lives together due to economic hardships,” she said.
“Every professional in this country has gone through the hands of an ECDE teacher, and we need to be recognised and treated like other teachers in primary or secondary schools,” Wambura added.
An officer from the county government in the department of education said the issue might be considered in the next financial year.
