Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) National Chairman Omboko Milemba has urged President William Ruto to intervene on the remuneration and recognition of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers.

Milemba addressed the issue on Monday, October 5, 2026, during the national World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani in Nairobi, where Ruto joined teachers, government officials, legislators and education stakeholders.

Speaking at the event, Milemba said ECDE teachers were not well-represented at the national celebration and urged the President to take their concerns more seriously.

“Your Excellency, I want to present the forgotten teacher. That is, the teacher who is not here, and who must be sought to be brought here. That is the ECD teacher,” Milemba said.

In his capacity as the KUPPET chief, Milemba also asked the President about the implementation of remuneration recommendations by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) on ECDE teachers.

“Your Excellency, SRC will go to court when CBEs are negotiated above the advisory, but they will not go to court when the ECD teachers are being paid below the advisory,” he said.

Milemba asked the President to intervene in the resolution of the matter, saying, “Your intervention would be very, very good.” His comments placed ECDE teachers in the limelight as one of the issues affecting the teaching profession highlighted during the celebrations, which were themed “Standing with teachers.” The 2026 commemorations also mark 60 years since the 1966 International Labour Organization (ILO)/UNESCO recommendation that set international standards for the teaching profession.

The plight of ECDE teachers has recently been a matter of controversy, with the early childhood education sector facing several challenges, including staffing, learning materials, nutrition, and infrastructure.

The Senate Standing Committee on Education raised concerns about the state of ECDE in Kajiado County during its recent oversight visit.

As county governments administer ECDE, issues affecting teacher welfare and learning facilities in the sector are largely dependent on the financial and policy capacities of county governments. Milemba’s intervention comes as education stakeholders deliberate on the way forward for the teaching profession.

The World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani saw teachers’ unions, the Teachers Service Commission, government officials, and other education stakeholders converge to discuss and deliberate on ways to improve the teaching profession. The event also involved the TSC Roll of Honour for teachers.