Nairobi County Unites Departments to Strengthen Early Childhood Development

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 10 – Nairobi City County Government has brought together key departments and civil society organisations to strengthen early childhood development (ECD), with a focus on ensuring children under six receive quality healthcare, learning, play and nurturing care.

The initiative follows a three-day strategic workshop organised by Governor Johnson Sakaja’s Delivery Unit (GDU) and facilitated by strategic communications firm Cause Impact Ltd.

The workshop focused on developing a coordinated communication and behaviour change strategy to integrate early childhood development into everyday family and community life across Nairobi.

Participants included county directorates responsible for health, education, urban planning, mobility, public communications and social services, alongside civil society partners Amref and Kidogo Early Years.

Nairobi County Director of Preventive and Promotive Health Services Dr Carol Ngunu said aligning messages across healthcare facilities and community health networks would help identify and support vulnerable children experiencing developmental delays.

She noted that coordinated interventions would help address developmental gaps before children reach school age.

County Director of Education Ruth Owuor said standardising messages across schools, childcare facilities and informal settlements would provide a common framework for parents, educators and other stakeholders to support children’s wellbeing.

“Rather than treating early childhood development as a series of isolated administrative tasks, this multi-sectoral initiative will seek to establish a standardized framework designed to ensure children under six years receive integrated health, play, learning, and nurturing care,” Owuor said.

Sakaja’s plan to improve child welfare

Governor Sakaja’s Delivery Unit Director Eunice Kariuki said the workshop marked a shift from policy development to practical implementation by aligning county departments and partners behind a shared agenda.

She said the initiative supports Sakaja’s broader vision of building a city that provides hope, dignity and opportunity for every child.

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the communication and behaviour change strategy across Nairobi’s sub-counties, with families, childcare providers, educators and community organisations expected to play a central role.

Nairobi targets child development milestones by 2030

The initiative builds on Nairobi City County’s Early Childhood Development Initiative, launched in November 2024 in partnership with Big Win Philanthropy.

The programme outlines a multi-sectoral approach to ensuring children under six years achieve key developmental milestones in health, learning and psychosocial wellbeing by 2030.

Through collaboration between county departments, development partners and communities, the county aims to make early childhood care a central part of its development agenda.

The latest workshop sought to establish a common approach to communicating with caregivers and communities while strengthening coordination among the institutions responsible for delivering early childhood services.

The county’s long-term ambition is to ensure every child in Nairobi has access to the support