More than 180,000 pupils are set to benefit from free meals as Nairobi County rolls out Phase Two of the Dishi na County Programme.
In the Phase Two exercise, at least 100,000 pupils are set to be enrolled in the program.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Monday said that the number in Phase Two is an increase from the first phase which started with only 81,208 pupils.
“We have completed all the 10 kitchens and we are now rolling out the second phase of the Dishi na County programme this term,” he said.
The Governor spoke at Lavington Primary School where students were being registered for Phase Two.
Each of the 10 kitchens produces 10,000 meals in a day.
Ten central kitchens for the programme have been under construction since June ahead of the launch.
They are located in Dagoretti North, Embakasi Central, Embakasi South, Kasarani, Kibra, Makadara, Starehe, Roysambu, Ruaraka, and Westlands sub-counties.
They are stationed in Baba Dogo Primary School, Bidii Primary School, Kwa Njenga Primary, Farasi Lane Primary, Muthangari Primary, Kayole One Primary, Njiru Primary, Toi Primary, Roysambu Primary and Racecourse Primary.
The headmaster of Lavington Primary School Lucas Ouma noted that 243 pupils were registered on Monday.
“We expect to register all our students, who are about 1,400 by tomorrow. There are learners who because of lack of food do not learn anything, they are not alert,” he said.
Sakaja later joined the children for lunch in Kinyanjui Road Primary School, Dagoretti South sub-county, and also visited the Muthangari Primary School Kitchen in Dagoretti North sub-county.
In his first budget for 2023-24, Sakaja allocated Sh1.2 billion towards the feeding programme.
Some Sh500 million was allocated to building seven more kitchens and the rest to subsidise the cost of a plate for each child.
In September last year, the French Government pledged Sh 160 million towards the school feeding programme.
The money will go towards ensuring all children in Public Primary Schools and ECDs get a nutritious meal through the programme partner Food for Education.