Governor Wamatangi to Build Swimming Pools for ECDE Centres in Kiambu

Kiambu County has announced plans to construct swimming pools for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) schools.

In a statement released on X on Friday, January 24, Governor Kimani Wamatangi revealed the plan without stating how much it would cost.

According to Wamatangi, the pools will be built in every zone. Kiambu County is administratively divided into 15 subcounties, 33 divisions, 96 locations, and 245 sub-locations.

“I will classify the ECDE centres under the county government into zones and build a swimming pool for every zone. Even the children in the public ECDEs will enjoy such amenities that were formerly a preserve of the private academies,” stated Wamatangi.

The county has 524 public ECDE centers and has been modernising the infrastructure in the schools.

Our research shows the county could spend nearly Ksh100 million or more for the project if the country opts to build commercial-size pools.

The cost for building a standard 12-meter by 6-meter pool typically costs between Ksh2.6 million and Ksh2.8 million, according to online estimates.

To build commercial pools, such as those measuring 25 meters by 10 meters, can cost between Ksh5 million and Ksh20 million, influenced by size and complexity. 

Wamatangi announced last year that parents of ECDE pupils would no longer need to buy exercise books and school uniforms for their children, as the county government would provide them.

Additionally, the county has implemented a feeding program that provides porridge daily, with eggs offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, along with milk.

In 2014, Kiambu County had a total of 72,061 children enrolled in ECDE centres. At the time, 26,503 children were enrolled in baby class, 35,648 children at the nursery level, and 36,910 in pre-unit.

The motivation behind the construction of swimming pools is likely to enlist mixed reactions from the county that is facing high unemployment rates, water scarcity, and malnutrition.