Catherine Murungi

1. Prof. Catherine Gakii Murungi

2. She is an education scholar, research leader and Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education in the Department of Early Childhood and Special Needs Education at Kenyatta University, Kenya. She brings more than two decades of experience in university teaching, research, postgraduate supervision, mentorship and academic leadership. She holds a PhD in Education, a Master of Education and a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education from Kenyatta University.

3. Her work examines how children’s developmental needs, learning environments and educational opportunities shape their participation and achievement. Her expertise spans foundational literacy and numeracy, child development, health education, inclusive pedagogy, competency-based education, language of instruction and technology in early childhood education. Across these areas, she connects research with classroom practice, institutional improvement and education policy.

4. Scholarship and conceptual contributions

5. Prof. Murungi has authored and co-authored 70 journal articles, eight book chapters and eight books. Her books include Children’s Basic Needs and Enrolment in Early Childhood Education, Play as a Medium of Instruction, and Games as a Medium for Teaching Mathematical Concepts. Her scholarship addresses children’s basic needs, nutrition, health, safety, teacher–child relationships, parental involvement and the conditions that support meaningful learning.

6. Her conceptual contributions include the Murungi Integrated Future Competency Framework (MIFCF) and the Murungi Future Competency Ecosystem Model (MFCEM), developed in her chapter Opportunities and Future Directions in Competency-Based Education. The framework integrates human, digital, sustainability, innovation, global, leadership, ethical and lifelong learning competencies around human agency. The complementary ecosystem model explains how education systems can develop, assess, recognize and continuously renew competencies. These contributions offer a basis for curriculum development, contextual adaptation, further theoretical refinement and empirical validation.

7. Research leadership and policy engagement

8. As Principal Investigator of the 2026 ESSA/REAL Centre-funded study, Influence of Mother Tongue Instruction on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy among Grade 1–3 Learners in Nakuru and Kitui Counties, Kenya, Prof. Murungi led research across 24 schools involving 1,080 learners and 72 teachers. Her leadership covered research implementation, stakeholder validation, dissemination and final reporting.

9. She also led preparation of the policy brief From Policy Awareness to Classroom Practice: Strengthening Context-Responsive Multilingual Education in Kenya’s Early Grades and an accompanying proposed implementation framework. These outputs translate research findings and stakeholder perspectives into recommendations on teacher preparation, classroom language practices, instructional resources, assessment and implementation accountability.

10. Her research leadership builds on earlier collaborative work, including a Kenyatta University Vice-Chancellor’s Research Grant on the safety and security of non-formal preschools. That work informed recommendations on children’s health, safety and wellbeing in early learning environments.

11. Through the Early Childhood Professionals Association of Kenya (ECPAK), she contributed to the collective position paper Safeguarding the Future of Early Childhood Development and Education in Kenya: Ensuring Recognition and Sustainability of the Diploma and B.Ed. (ECDE) Programmes for National Transformation. Alongside this collective engagement, she prepared and presented a personal submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Education advocating recognition of the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education as a specialized degree.

12. Her submission addressed professional recognition, deployment, distinct career pathways, workforce planning and the protection of specialized early childhood teacher preparation. Following collective stakeholder representations, the proposed merger of early childhood and primary teacher education was put on hold to allow public participation and further consultation. She has also contributed to consultations on education assessment legislation, advocating assessment for learning, inclusion, early identification of learning needs and the use of evidence to improve teaching.

13. Teaching, curriculum development and mentorship

14. Prof. Murungi’s teaching portfolio includes Human Learning, Health Education and Practices, Research Practicum, Creativity in Young Children, and Introduction to AI and VR in Early Childhood Education. She contributed to the 2025 review of Kenyatta University’s Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education programme and developed the adopted unit Introduction to AI and VR in Early Childhood Education. Her teaching interests include preparing educators to use emerging technologies thoughtfully while remaining attentive to children’s developmental needs.

15. She has contributed to interactive e-learning, developed learning materials and supported colleagues in using digital platforms for teaching. Through postgraduate supervision and research mentorship, she helps emerging scholars develop rigorous, relevant and ethically grounded research. She has examined more than 100 academic documents, and her former students include professors, doctoral graduates, international professionals, county early childhood education leaders and practitioners in non-governmental organizations.

16. She addressed the School of Education and Lifelong Learning’s 51st Postgraduate Seminar on Youth Engagement for Co-creation of Inclusive Education. In September 2026, she also linked two postgraduate students to HERI scholarship opportunities through the HERI Chair at Kisii University.

17. Academic leadership and institutional innovation

18. Her academic leadership includes three years as Deputy Chair of the School of Education Postgraduate Board, service as departmental Examinations Coordinator and periods as Acting Chairperson of Department. She has supported postgraduate research processing, examinations, academic standards and coordination between departments, the School and the Graduate School. She also contributed to developing the 2026 School of Education and Lifelong Learning research proposal and thesis guidelines.

19. In July 2025, she developed four examination tracking and quality-assurance tools covering moderation, peer verification of marks, missing-marks tracking and compliance monitoring. Piloted during the September–December 2025 semester and January–February 2026 examination moderation, the tools support transparency, traceability, accountability and timely responses to students’ academic concerns.

20. In early 2026, Prof. Murungi identified staffing gaps and excessive teaching workloads affecting departmental programme delivery. She raised these concerns with the Dean and advocated additional teaching support. The Dean’s subsequent engagement with University management secured approval for recruitment, and the department now has ten part-time lecturers. This additional support has made teaching workloads in the Special Needs Education section more manageable. Her contribution demonstrates academic leadership through identifying institutional challenges, proposing practical solutions and working collaboratively to achieve results.

21. International engagement and community service

22. Prof. Murungi participated in the Africa Regional Roundtable at the African Union in Addis Ababa, providing expert feedback acknowledged in Child and Adolescent Health and Development, Volume 8 of the World Bank’s Disease Control Priorities, third edition. She was also acknowledged for reviewing child-development and practical learning content in English for Child Development: Language Skills for Parents and Providers.

23. She serves as Kenyatta University’s link person for the KU–ChildFund partnership, facilitating communication and engagement on research opportunities and institutional collaboration. She has also contributed to the School of Education and Lifelong Learning’s conference and World Teachers’ Day activities.

24. As a member of the Meru Economic and Social Council and its Social Pillar work, she contributed to the development of Meru Vision 2040. Since 2024, she has chaired the Academic Committee at Nova Pioneer Tatu Boys High School and also serves on the Academic Committee at Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls.

25. In July 2026, she organized the Academic Excellence, Leadership and National Examination Success Programme at Tatu Boys, in collaboration with FuKazee and on behalf of the PTA Academic Committee. The programme supported study and revision strategies, examination readiness, career and subject choices, senior-school transition, leadership, digital discipline, resilience and wellbeing. She also delivered the school’s 2026 graduation address and participated in cultural activities at both schools.

26. Her contributions have received letters of appreciation from Kenyatta University’s Vice-Chancellor and the Executive Dean. ESSA featured her among 16 African researchers advancing foundational learning and celebrated her alongside fellow scholars and teachers in its 2026 World Teachers’ Day tribute.

27. Educational philosophy

28. Prof. Murungi believes that education should nurture every learner’s potential, uphold human dignity and translate knowledge into meaningful improvements in classrooms, communities and society. She leads by example and carries initiatives through to completion, building her contribution through research, mentorship and service to education.

Prof. Catherine Gakii Murungi serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Studies at Kenyatta University. She holds a Ph.D. in Education specializing in Early Childhood Studies and an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education. Her academic work centers on early childhood education and developmental psychology, with research interests in child development, children's health, and related areas of early childhood studies.

Prof. Murungi has extensive experience in teaching and research at Kenyatta University, where she contributes to postgraduate examination processes across multiple departments. Her professional focus remains on advancing knowledge in early childhood education through scholarly activities at the institution.