Senate Demands Answers as Mombasa Faces ECDE, TVET, and Transition Crisis
The Senate Committee on Education, led by Chairperson Senator Betty Montet, has issued a stern seven-day period to Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir to provide a comprehensive report on student transition from secondary school to universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. During a special oversight visit to the coastal county, senators expressed concern over alarming transition rates, with only 20 percent of 2024’s Form Four graduates reportedly enrolling in tertiary institutions.
photo; senator Betty Montet addressing the media.
photo; Mombasa county governor Abdulswammad shariff Nassir addressing the media.
The committee's visit, which also focused on the status of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) and vocational training, revealed both commendable progress and critical shortcomings within Mombasa’s education sector.
Governor Nassir showcased a notable rise in ECDE enrollment — from 8,000 to over 10,000 learners — attributing the growth to the county's free daily school feeding program. Implemented in partnership with Food for Education, the initiative now supports learners across all six sub-counties and has been hailed by senators as a model for other counties.
“Every child gets a Sh30 meal every school day,” Nassir said. “It’s a huge driver of both retention and enrollment.”
The county government pays Sh3,200 per learner annually as capitation for ECDE learners, with additional funds coming from conditional grants. Mombasa currently has 94 public ECDE centers and 24 for special needs, against 955 private centers serving over 44,000 learners.
Despite these achievements, the committee raised alarm over the pupil-teacher ratio, with some centers recording ratios as high as 1:97. Only 210 ECDE teachers are employed on permanent and pensionable terms, while over 130 are on short-term contracts. Nassir blamed budget limitations and said most permanent staff were absorbed before his administration took over.
Senators pressed for clarity on education budget management. Montet stressed that proper budgeting is essential to service delivery, particularly for vital sectors like education and youth empowerment.
“What we are most interested in is the budget — how much goes to ECDE, how it is spent, and what the future holds,” Montet said.
Senator Mohamed Faki, representing Mombasa, voiced frustration over delayed ECDE infrastructure projects in areas such as Mwijabu, Kengeleni, and Dingirikani. The governor blamed these delays on land ownership disputes and contractor abscondment.
Nassir also admitted that his administration inherited 12 incomplete centers from the previous regime, two of which — in Chaani and Marimani — are nearing completion at 96 percent.
In a surprising moment, senators were taken aback when the governor acknowledged that Mombasa’s ECDE policy still references pre-colonial era guidelines. Montet emphasized the urgent need for counties to modernize policy frameworks to reflect current educational demands.
Beyond education, the Senate also expressed concern over the emergence of juvenile criminal gangs, linking it to the low transition rate from secondary education and lack of structured post-high school opportunities for youth.
“We must ask — where is the 80 percent that didn’t join university or TVET? What’s the plan for them?” Montet questioned, referencing last year’s youth-led protests and rising insecurity.
Governor Nassir responded by highlighting ongoing county initiatives such as “Skills Mtaani” and the draft “Stawisha Law,” which he said will formalize and streamline youth empowerment and vocational training efforts.
As the countdown to the Senate's deadline begins, Mombasa’s education sector remains under intense national scrutiny. With over 10,000 young learners in public ECDE centers and a rapidly growing youth population, the county's ability to address educational bottlenecks could significantly shape its future.
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