Busia: In a quiet village in Gitiha, Githunguri Sub-county, the sound of laughter and songs spills from brightly painted classrooms as dozens of children, clad in matching uniforms and shoes, line-up for their mid-morning cup of porridge. It's a heartwarming scene that reflects a bigger story of transformation, one that is reshaping the landscape of Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) in Kiambu County.
According to Kenya News Agency, public ECDE centers across the county had suffered neglect for decades, with many operating from rundown buildings with crumbling walls, dusty floors, and no proper sanitation. But in the last two years, a focused campaign led by the County government, backed by development partners and local NGOs, has sparked a quiet revolution in early learning.
When Governor Kimani Wamatangi took office in 2022, one of his flagship promises was to restore dignity to early education. At the time, Kiambu had 534 public ECDE centres, most of them in dire condition. "We could not expect our children to thrive in environments that were unsafe, unhygienic, and uninspiring," said Governor Wamatangi, in a recent interview. "Early childhood education is the foundation of all learning. It deserves our utmost investment," he stressed.
As of mid-2025, the County has completed the construction of 247 new ECDE centres, with 138 more still under construction, as part of a Sh400 million infrastructure rollout. Each centre now boasts twin classrooms for PP1 and PP2, an administrative block, gender-segregated toilets, clean water access, and a fenced playground.
The impact has been immediate and visible; ECDE enrolment across Kiambu has surged from approximately 32,000 children in 2023 to more than 39,600 in 2025, reflecting growing parental trust in public facilities. In some revamped centres such as Lower Kihara, enrolment has more than doubled, from 78 to 159 learners, following classroom upgrades and the introduction of a county-wide feeding program.
Margaret Muthoni, a veteran ECDE teacher in Lari Sub-County, has witnessed the change firsthand. "Before the renovations, we had only 12 children left. Parents were taking their kids to private schools or keeping them at home. Now our classrooms are full again," she said.
The county's ECDE reforms go far beyond bricks and mortar. A comprehensive support system now ensures that learners receive daily meals, including nutritious porridge every morning, a boiled egg three times a week, and a milk packet on Thursdays. This feeding programme, known as 'Maziwa Freshi na Wamatangi,' has become a cornerstone of the ECDE transformation.
In January 2025, the County launched an initiative to provide free uniforms, shoes, and exercise books to every ECDE learner, in partnership with corporate sponsors such as BATA Kenya. At the Gitiha ECDE launch, every pupil received new school shoes, a gift that many parents admitted they could not have afforded.
Family Bank Ltd also donated about 634 chairs and 150 tables to the new ECDE centres in Kiambu County as a way to help uplift the ECDE learning spaces. Realizing that quality education depends on quality instruction, Kiambu County is also investing in its 1,538 ECDE teachers. Through the County Bursary Fund, every teacher will receive full sponsorship to upgrade to a diploma qualification, in partnership with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
"We are not just building classrooms but we are building a future," said Mercy Njagi, the County Executive Committee Member for Education. "We want our teachers to feel valued and empowered, and our learners to feel safe, seen, and supported," she stressed.
While the county government has driven the change, its efforts have been bolstered by significant contributions from development partners and local NGOs, such as Pacemaker International and Kupenda for the Children, which continue to support inclusive education and teacher mentorship programs in Kiambu's marginalized communities.
Governor Wamatangi has pledged to complete the modernization of all 524 public ECDE centres by the end of 2026. Plans are underway to equip each centre with a kitchen, library corner, and digital learning tools. There is also discussion of introducing early screening for developmental delays and integrating basic health check-ups into the ECDE routine, a move supported by local health partners and child welfare organizations.