Kericho County Government has launched the distribution of 1,484 curriculum materials for Pre-Primary One (PP1) and Pre-Primary Two (PP2) to Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centers across the county. The initiative, spearheaded by County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education, Culture and Social Services Judith Chepkorir Chirchir, marks a key step in addressing gaps in early learning resources. The materials, distributed alongside Chief Officer for Education Richard Tonui and ECDE Director Hellen Tele, are designed to provide standardized tools for classroom instruction and child-centered learning, according to the county government.
Chirchir emphasized the importance of the distribution during the launch, stating it aligns with the county’s efforts to strengthen early childhood education. She highlighted that access to structured curriculum materials would enable teachers to deliver lessons effectively, ensuring learning activities meet the developmental needs of pre-primary students. The CECM also urged educators to maximize the resources and reiterated the county’s commitment to supporting ECDE teachers through ongoing interventions, including infrastructure and capacity-building programs.
The initiative is part of Kericho’s 2026/2027 Annual Development Plan, which prioritizes equipping 900 ECDE centers with furniture, textbooks, and digital tools. The plan also targets training 1,422 ECDE teachers to enhance their instructional skills. This follows the county’s recent construction of 129 ECDE centers and ablution blocks over three years, along with the employment of 1,137 permanent and pensionable ECDE teachers. Additionally, 30 ward ECDE coordinators and program officers have been deployed to oversee service delivery, the county reported.
National guidelines under the Fourth Schedule of the Kenyan Constitution assign pre-primary education responsibilities to county governments, while the Ministry of Education retains oversight of curriculum standards. The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) oversees the revised PP2 curriculum, which builds on PP1 competencies in areas such as pre-literacy, numeracy, motor skills, and social-emotional development. KICD’s materials also outline learning outcomes, core competencies, and assessment frameworks to guide implementation.
The distribution comes in response to concerns raised during a June 2026 education oversight exercise by the Senate Standing Committee on Education. The committee identified infrastructure deficits, learning material shortages, feeding challenges, and management inefficiencies as critical issues requiring intervention. Kericho’s latest effort to supply curriculum materials aligns with its broader strategy to address these gaps and ensure effective pre-primary education delivery.
The county has also invested in digital learning for ECDE, partnering with Education for Digital Understanding (EIDU) to train ICT officers who will subsequently equip over 1,000 teachers with e-learning skills. This initiative complements previous programs focused on classroom equipment, teacher training, and infrastructure development, reflecting a multi-pronged approach to improving early childhood education outcomes.
Kericho’s actions underscore the critical role of devolved governments in shaping foundational education. By prioritizing resource allocation and teacher support, the county aims to create a robust ECDE system that prepares children for future academic success, while addressing systemic challenges highlighted by oversight bodies and stakeholders.