The Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) has partnered with social enterprise Kidogo Early Years to launch a groundbreaking plan that will transform childcare across the capital. This initiative is a major step toward the formalization and improvement of ECD systems for thousands of young children and caregivers in Nairobi.
At the heart of this initiative is the co-creation of a comprehensive childcare policy and regulatory framework designed to make early childhood care accessible, high-quality, and sustainable.
“This initiative marks a crucial step toward institutionalising quality, sustainable Early Childhood Development (ECD) within Nairobi’s broader agenda,” said Judy Macharia, Head of Community Health Services at Nairobi City County.
Macharia affirmed the county’s strong leadership under Governor Johnson Sakaja, noting his administration’s commitment to investing in children’s well-being.
“Governor Sakaja continues to deeply invest in children. Beyond programmes like ‘Dishi na County,’ where children are fed daily, we have secured funding to train healthcare workers and our 7,820 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) on nurturing care and the Care for Child Development approach,” she said.
She added, “Our children are our future, and we are committed to developing policies and frameworks that support their welfare across the county.”
Mapping the Future of Childcare in Nairobi
The event spotlighted the Childcare Mapping Pilot, jointly led by Kidogo Early Years and the county’s Education and Health departments. The pilot revealed that over 4,000 daycare centers operate within Nairobi—many informally, emphasizing both the scale of childcare demand and the need for structured support.
According to Elaine Wacuka, Head of Policy & Partnerships at Kidogo Early Years, this data-driven undertaking is critical:
“For too long, informal childcare providers have been the silent backbone of working families, yet they’ve remained largely unseen in data and planning. Together with our partner Nairobi County, we developed the Childcare Mapping Tool to help us make the invisible visible.”
Wacuka shared that for the first time, the County is able to see where childcare exists, as well as identify neighborhoods with inadequate care and what specific supports are needed to improve provider quality.
The project also leverages the network of Community Health Promoters (CHPs), whose on-the-ground insights helped refine the mapping tool to ensure it serves both policymakers and childcare practitioners effectively.
Building a Coordinated Childcare Ecosystem
The forum underscored that childcare must be viewed as a shared responsibility, one that brings together government, philanthropy, the private sector, and communities.
The proposed framework envisions a cohesive system where:
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Government provides leadership, sets standards, and expands financial support.
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Private sector and philanthropists invest in innovation, quality enhancement, and infrastructure.
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Parents and communities gain access to information and a voice in shaping services.
Ruth Owuor, Director of Education at Nairobi County, revealed that the Education Department has drafted the Nairobi City County Child Care Facilities Regulations (2025) to streamline childcare services and operationalize the Nairobi City County Child Care Facilities Act (2017).
Three-Year Implementation Plan
According to Martina Adega, Policy and Partnership Consultant at Kidogo Early Years, the program will roll out over the next three years. It will prioritize capacity building for childcare providers, focusing on the nurturing care framework, which emphasizes health, nutrition, safety, early learning, and responsive caregiving.
“During the pilot, CHPs successfully mapped 174 childcare centres across Utawala, Upper and Lower Savannah, Mihango, Embakasi, Utalii, Mathare North, Lucky Summer, Korogocho, and Baba Dogo,” Adega said.
“This provides Nairobi with its first detailed, hyper-local snapshot of existing childcare provision, opportunity, and current practice, offering actionable data for evidence-based planning and interventions.”
A Transformative Step for Generations
This collaboration between Nairobi County and Kidogo Early Years signals a shift from fragmented efforts to a coordinated, government-led strategy rooted in data, equity, and sustainability.
By institutionalizing childcare within Nairobi’s policy and development agenda, the initiative sets the stage for a new era of quality early childhood care, ensuring that every child, especially in low-income communities, gets a strong start in life.
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