A free school uniform initiative for Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) learners in Kirinyaga has been hailed by stakeholders with parents and teachers saying it will increase school enrollment and retention.
The initiative was launched by Governor Anne Waiguru in April, stating that it was part of her elaborate program to reform the county’s ECDE through improved infrastructure, equipment, and service delivery.
Parents, whose children received uniforms at the beginning of the second term, say that apart from helping reduce the burden of buying uniforms, the program has helped them get an extra uniform to reduce the 'wash and wear' tendencies.
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One of the parents of an ECDE pupil at Kutus Primary School, Benson Mutinda, noted that many learners who could not afford uniforms are now able to attend school.
“When you look at our kids they look smart, and they can now focus on education and perform better. Many children who couldn't afford uniforms and other learning materials can now attend school," said Mutinda.
The uniform distribution aims at dressing all the 15,000 ECDE learners in 200 centers with a full set of uniforms which consists of a pair of shorts, a shirt, a sweater and a pair of socks for boys and a tunic, a blouse, a sweater, and a pair of socks for the girls.
They have distinct colors for different constituencies where ECDE learners from Ndia and Mwea will be wearing blue color while Kirinyaga Central and Gichugu will be wearing green colored uniforms.
