NAIVASHA, Kenya Feb 27 – Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has urged the Senate to push for harmonised Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) schemes of service, establishment of child-friendly learning centres and a national school feeding framework covering all four million pre-primary learners.Speaking during the Senate Assessment and Planning Retreat for the 5th Session held at Sawela Lodge in Naivasha, Bitok delivered a keynote address titled: “The State of Education in Kenya: Management of Education Policy and Standards.”Bitok told senators that Kenya is undergoing major reforms under the Competency Based Education (CBE) framework, revealing that the pioneer Grade 9 cohort has nearly achieved 100% transition to Grade 10 following the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA).He confirmed that the government has hired 100,000 teachers, expanded infrastructure including classrooms and laboratories, and ensured capitation funds were disbursed on time this term.The Ministry of Education’s total annual budget now exceeds Sh700 billion, with Sh245.9 billion allocated to Basic Education. However, Bitok noted a Sh111 billion funding gap affecting Free Primary Education, school feeding and national assessments.The PS emphasized that county governments, under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, are responsible for implementing and managing Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE).He urged senators to exercise oversight to ensure County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) prioritize safe, modern and child-friendly ECDE infrastructure, noting that some centres still operate under trees or in dilapidated structures.Bitok also called for harmonisation of ECDE teachers’ schemes of service, warning that delayed salaries, lack of pensions and short-term contracts undermine professionalism.“An unhappy teacher cannot be entrusted with nurturing a child’s mind,” he said.On nutrition, Bitok urged the Senate to advocate for a National-County Nutritional Framework to guarantee at least one fortified meal daily for every ECDE learner across all 47 counties.“You cannot teach a hungry child,” he told lawmakers, noting disparities where some counties run strong feeding programmes while others have none.He further appealed for support of the proposed Basic Education (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to clarify roles between national and county governments and strengthen coordination.Bitok concluded by reminding senators that their oversight role is critical in bridging the gap between children’s potential and reality.