NYAMIRA COUNTY DENIES ECDE TEACHERS’ STRIKE, SAYS NORMAL LEARNING HAS RESUMED AS THIRD TERM BEGINS

In a strongly worded press statement issued on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, by CPA Emily Ongaga, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education, Vocational Training and ICT, the county administration sought to reassure parents, learners and the public that reports of a boycott of duty by ECDE teachers were misleading and designed to create unnecessary anxiety.

“All Nyamira County Public ECDE Centres have opened for Third Term, smoothly across the County,” Ongaga stated. “Learners in County ECDE Centres have reported to school; a spot check today has confirmed that learning is taking place.”

The statement comes amid circulating reports that KUNOPPET had directed ECDE teachers in Nyamira to abscond duty. County officials moved quickly to counter the claims, emphasising that the group lacks formal recognition and therefore has no mandate to call industrial action or represent teachers in any capacity within the county.

According to the county government, KUNOPPET has not met the statutory threshold required under Kenyan labour law to enter into a Recognition Agreement. Section 54(1) of the Labour Relations Act, 2007, requires a trade union to demonstrate membership of a simple majority of unionisable employees before it can be recognised by an employer. In Nyamira, the county employs 882 ECDE teachers. A simple majority of 50 plus one would therefore stand at 442 members.

Officials said that as of July 20, 2026, the County Government of Nyamira had received an official signed list of only 93 members from the group  representing roughly 10 percent of the total workforce. “This organisation, therefore, is not yet a legally recognised entity within the County Government of Nyamira, hence, not mandated to represent ECDE teachers,” the statement read. “It has no mandate to represent ECDE teachers in whatever manner, in whichever circumstances or capacity.”

The county characterised the circulating information about an industrial action as an attempt to foment “anxiety, anarchy and acrimony.” It urged parents and other stakeholders in early childhood education to ignore the reports and ensure children continue attending school.

County authorities also issued a firm directive to teachers. “We expect all ECDE teachers to be present and teaching within their respective centres without failure. Any teacher participating in this unlawful industrial action will face disciplinary measures as prescribed by law,” Ongaga warned.

At the same time, the county signalled openness to dialogue through proper channels. Under the leadership of Governor Amos Nyaribo, the administration said it remained ready to engage on legitimate grievances that advance education, noting that established legal platforms exist for such discussions. “We are welcome and open to meaningful engagements in the best interest of our learners as provided by the law,” the statement added.



The intervention underscores the sensitive nature of ECDE provision in Kenya’s devolved system of government. Since the advent of devolution under the 2010 Constitution, counties assumed responsibility for pre-primary education, including the employment and management of ECDE teachers. Recognition of unions, collective bargaining and the handling of industrial disputes have periodically become flashpoints between county governments and emerging teacher associations.

In Nyamira, the county’s emphasis on the numerical threshold for recognition highlights a common legal and practical hurdle. Unions must demonstrate substantial membership support before they can compel an employer to negotiate formal recognition agreements. Without that agreement, any purported strike call risks being treated as unprotected industrial action, exposing participants to potential disciplinary consequences under public service regulations and labour law.

County officials stressed that learning had not been disrupted. Spot checks conducted on the first day of the third term reportedly confirmed that children were in class and teaching was underway across public ECDE centres. The administration called on parents to disregard claims of a widespread boycott and to continue sending their children to school as normal.

The press statement further framed the episode as one of misinformation rather than a genuine labour dispute grounded in recognised processes. By repeatedly asserting that KUNOPPET lacked both the membership numbers and the formal recognition required by law, the county sought to strip the alleged strike call of legitimacy and to reassure the public that the education calendar remained on track.



Governor Nyaribo’s administration has previously engaged stakeholders on education matters, according to the statement, and expressed willingness to continue doing so within the framework of the law. Officials indicated that grievances, if any exist among ECDE teachers, should be channelled through the established platforms rather than through unilateral calls for industrial action by an unrecognised group.

The development comes at a time when counties across Kenya continue to grapple with the professionalisation, remuneration and working conditions of ECDE teachers. Many counties have invested in expanding access to early childhood education, constructing classrooms and recruiting teachers, even as questions of union representation, career progression and harmonisation of terms of service persist.

In Nyamira’s case, the county government has drawn a clear line: without meeting the 50-plus-one membership threshold and securing a formal Recognition Agreement, no group can lawfully claim to speak for the county’s 882 ECDE teachers or direct them to withhold their labour. Participation in any such action, the county warned, would attract disciplinary measures.

As the third term gets underway, the administration’s message to parents is unambiguous. Learning in public ECDE centres is continuing. Children should report to school. Teachers are expected to be at their posts. And any claims of a sanctioned strike by KUNOPPET should be disregarded as lacking both legal foundation and factual basis in the current operations of Nyamira’s early childhood education system.

The county has left the door open to structured engagement. Whether outstanding issues among ECDE teachers will be raised through the proper channels remains to be seen. For now, the official position is that classrooms are open, learners are present, and the business of early childhood education in Nyamira County is proceeding without interruption.

Parents and stakeholders have been urged to remain calm, support the education of their children, and rely on verified information from the County Government rather than unverified reports of industrial action. The administration maintains that its priority is the uninterrupted delivery of education services to the youngest learners under its care, in accordance with the law and in the best interest of the children of Nyamira.