The Senate Standing Committee on Education has hailed the County Government of Trans Nzoia for implementing key reforms that have strengthened early childhood and vocational training, promoting both foundational and skilled learning.
Speaking after a session with Governor George Natembeya and county education officials on Thursday, October 23, 2025, committee chairperson Senator Betty Montet said Trans Nzoia had achieved remarkable progress in the education sector since 2022.
“We are here to oversight the county government of Trans Nzoia on matters ECDE and vocational training,” Montet said.
“The county has done exceptionally well in expanding access to education and ensuring teachers are on permanent and pensionable terms. That gives them stability to work and take better care of the young ones.”
Montet expressed satisfaction that the county administration had constructed 32 Vocational Training Centers (VTCs), surpassing the minimum threshold of 25 one per ward as outlined in national education policy.
“This is commendable, given that early education lays the foundation for lifelong learning,” she said, adding that more learners should enroll in vocational training centers to acquire technical and practical skills.
Are VTCs free in Trans Nzoia?
The senator praised Governor Natembeya’s pledge to make learning in all VTCs free beginning the next financial year.
“This is a bold step toward equitable education,” Natembeya said. “Our goal is to ensure that no child in Trans Nzoia misses school because of financial constraints.”
Committee Vice Chair Professor Margaret Kamar lauded the county’s rapid expansion of ECDE facilities, noting that 128 new centers have been built between 2022 and 2025, doubling the number since the start of devolution.
“It is very important that we start our children properly,” Kamar said. “The development of the brain of a child happens between ages four and seven that’s when we lay the foundation for the kind of professionals our nation will have.”
Kamar also commended the county’s investment in vocational training through partnerships with Safaricom, Child Rescue Kenya, KCB Bank, Dutch development partners, and Tools to Work, aimed at expanding training opportunities and access to modern learning tools.
“The governor has gone beyond the minimum,” she said. “If we don’t train our youth at that level, we risk having a population without skills and direction.”
Governor Natembeya thanked the Senate Committee for its visit, saying it demonstrated that devolution is working.
“We appreciate the Senate’s oversight role and their recommendations,” he said. “We will continue to refocus our energies on ECDE and vocational training the core devolved functions that directly impact our youth and future workforce.”
The Senate Education Committee is expected to compile a detailed report on Trans Nzoia’s progress, with findings likely to inform national policy on county-level implementation of early childhood and vocational education.
