President Ruto promises to work with counties to roll out school feeding program country-wide

In a bid to boost the performance of learners in schools, the government has announced that it will intensify its school feeding program. Speaking at the launch of the Nairobi City County’s Dishi Na County School Feeding Program, President William Ruto stated that the government would work with counties and other stakeholders to ensure the success of the program which he believes will increase enrollment.

President Ruto noted that school feeding is a safety net for vulnerable households adding that it is a smart investment that makes a huge difference to the lives of children. He was accompanied by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu among other leaders.

During his speech, the president emphasized the need to eliminate the challenge of hungry children in schools. “We must be deliberate and focused in ensuring the successful implementation of the countrywide school feeding program,” he said.

The school feeding program has been a key focus of the Kenyan government in recent years with the aim of providing nutritious meals to children in both primary and secondary schools. The program aims to improve attendance rates, reduce dropout rates, and ultimately improve academic performance.

According to the Ministry of Education, over 1.2 million learners in public primary schools are currently benefiting from the program.
The government has also partnered with various organizations to expand the program to reach more schools across the country.

The feeding program is expected to have a significant impact on the education sector in Kenya.
With the government’s commitment to working with counties and other stakeholders, it is hoped that the programme will succeed in providing vital support to vulnerable households and improving the performance of learners in schools.

The government will increase the number of children benefitting from the programme from the current 1.6 million to four million.

The President pointed out that enrolment rates are on average 28 per cent higher in schools with feeding programmes than those without.

He said in arid and semi-arid regions, feeding programme has improved attendance.

More than 1.6 million children across the country — in over 4,000 schools — are currently receiving meals in a programme supported by the Government.

Dishi Na County will see meals prepared at 10 central kitchens in different parts of Nairobi.