Kirinyaga County borders Nyeri County, Murang’a County and Embu County.It covers an area of 1,478.1 square kilometers. The county lies between 1,158 metres and 5,380 metres above sea level in the South and at the Peak of Mt. Kenya respectively. Mt. Kenya which lies on the northern side greatly influences the landscape of the county as well as other topographical features. The snow melting from the mountain forms the water tower for the rivers that drain in the county and other areas that lie south and west of the county. The county can be divided into three ecological zones; the lowland areas, the midland areas and the highlands. The county is well endowed with a thick, indigenous forest with unique types of trees covering Mt. Kenya. Mt. Kenya Forest covers 350.7 Km2 and is inhabited by a variety of wildlife including elephants, buffaloes, monkeys, bushbucks and colourful birds while the lower parts of the forest zone provides grazing land for livestock. The rich flora and fauna within the forest coupled with mountain climbing are a great potential for tourist activities. The county has six major rivers namely; Sagana, Nyamindi, Rupingazi, Thiba, Rwamuthambi and Ragati, all of which drain into the Tana River. These rivers are the principal source of water in the county. The water from these rivers has been harnessed through canals to support irrigation at the lower zones of the county. The county has a tropical climate and an equatorial rainfall pattern. The climatic condition is influenced by the county position along the equator and its position on the windward side of Mt Kenya. The county has two rainy seasons, the long rains and the short rains. Administratively, the county is divided into five districts namely; Kirinyaga East, Kirinyaga West, Mwea East, Mwea West and Kirinyaga Central. The districts are subdivided further into 12 divisions, 30 locations and 81 sub-locations.The county has four constituencies namely Mwea, Ndia, Kirinyaga Central and Gichugu. Kirinyaga County has twenty (20) wards. From the Kenya Population and Housing Census 2009 report, the population of the county stood at 528,054 persons with an annual growth rate of 1.5 percent. The population is projected to be 595, 379 in 2017. Kerugoya, Sagana and Wang’uru are the only towns in the County while Kagio and Kagumo comprise the urban centres. The town with the highest population is Wang’uru with a population of 18,437; followed by Kerugoya with a population of 17,122; the least populated town is Sagana with a population of 10,344. The urban centre with the highest population is Kagio with a population of 3,512 followed closely by Kagumo with a population of 3,489. The population of Wang’uru is highest because it has a lot of economic activities, mainly rice farming while Kerugoya town had long been the District administrative headquarters. The total road network of in the county is 1,109.11 Km, out of which 106.5 Km is bitumen, 462.05 Km is gravel and 540.5 Km is earth surfaced roads. The county has an established road network with 7 tarmac roads passing through it namely Makutano – Embu road, Kutus – Karatina road, Baricho road, Kiburu road, Kutus – Sagana road, Kutus – Kianyaga road and Kabare – Kimunye road. There is only a 5km of railway line and one railway station in the county located in Ndia Constituency but currently not in use. There is one airstrip located in Mwea constituency. The mobile phone coverage stands at 99 percent while the number of fixed lines stands at 693 units. There are 5 sub- post offices and 14 cyber-cafes. There is also an increase in the usage of computers and internet in government offices, private businesses and homes due to availability portable modems and affordability of computers and laptops. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Provide leadership in the management, development and implementation of ECDE Programmes; Mobilize resources for ECDE projects and programmes; Develop partnership with various stakeholders to improve status and management of ECDE Centers and link the stakeholders to the Department; Lead in preparation and implementation of the strategic plan, annual work plans and periodic reports of the department; Provide technical and coordination support to the stakeholders and partners in mainstreaming ECDE; Manage and review regular reports from ECDE Program Officers; Compile reports and disseminate technical reviews and improvements in project quality and partner support; Develop play-based curriculum for ECDE in the county; and Supervise the design, development and preparation of ECDE play and learning materials for both normal and special needs children. Coordinate human resource management and development for the technical and support staff in the section. Coordinate performance management for technical and support cadres in the department. Conduct training, mentoring, and evaluating ECDE officers in the County. Work with other agencies, bodies, government to improve the ECDE facilities and enhance the use of the facilities Develop and manage departmental budgets. Job Requirements REQUIREMENTS FOR APPOINTMENT For appointment to this position, a candidate must:- Be a Kenyan citizen; Have a Bachelor’s degree in either Education, Early Childhood Education, Technical Education, Bachelor’s degree in Science/Arts with a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from a recognized institution; Have clear understanding of ECDE policies, framework, goals and objectives; Have excellent interpersonal communication and report writing skills; Certificate in Senior Management Course lasting not less than four (4) weeks or its equivalent from a recognized institution will be an added advantage; Demonstrate professional competence in work performance and be result oriented in execution of duties and responsibilities; Have relevant knowledge and experience of not less than seven (7) years in a related area within the public service or private Sector three (3) of which should be at supervisory or managerial level; Have exposure in curriculum development and child health monitoring; Demonstrate understanding and commitment to the values and principles as outlined in article 10 and 232 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010; Certificate in computer applications from a recognized institution; Satisfy the requirements of Chapter 6 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. Must be registered with Teachers Service Commission (TSC)