The Nairobi government is demanding Sh2 billion from the
Ministry of Education to sustain and expand its subsidised school feeding
initiative, Dishi na County.
Governor Johnson Sakaja told the Senate Education Committee
that the ministry has failed to honour its commitment to co-fund the programme
despite signing an intergovernmental agreement.
“There was an undertaking that the Ministry would match a
shilling for every shilling we spend. We have already invoiced the national
government Sh2 billion, but they have not given us the money,” he said.
The governor explained that under the agreement, the ministry was to
contribute its share from the school feeding programme fund controlled from
Jogoo House.
Currently, more than 316,000 learners across Nairobi benefit
from the initiative, with each child paying Sh5 per meal.
However, Sakaja revealed that about 10 per cent of the
beneficiaries eat for free as their parents cannot afford the daily fee.
“We have instructed our officers not to turn away any child
who lacks the Sh5. The county is covering the cost for them,” he said.
Sakaja said the county is planning to expand the programme
to include learners in informal schools.
As a temporary measure, the county is mapping out public
schools near informal institutions to allow children from those areas
to access meals during lunchtime.
“In our 230 public schools, we operate 17 central kitchens
that currently feed 316,000 learners. To include all informal schools, we would
need 69 additional kitchens,” he said.
“It’s a budget issue. As we work on that, we’ve identified
nearby public schools where children from informal schools can go during lunch
to have a meal.”
The governor said expanding the programme will
require additional funding and infrastructure support.
“If it were up to me, every single child in Nairobi would be
part of Dishi na County, including those in informal schools,” he said.
Launched by the Nairobi City County Government, Dishi na
County provides daily meals to learners in public primary and ECDE schools
across the city.
Senators sought clarification on how the county intends to
extend the programme to thousands of learners in informal settlements who are
yet to benefit.
Sakaja also addressed the committee on broader education
challenges in Nairobi, including shortage of public schools and the rising
demand for bursaries.
“The 210 public schools we have cannot meet the needs of our
population of over seven million people. Land for new schools is scarce and
expensive. Despite this, the county is building 1,500 ECDE classrooms, while
the national government is constructing 5,000 more to help bridge the gap,” he
said.
The governor urged the national government to implement
affirmative action for Nairobi, saying the existing schools are “far from
adequate” to meet the city’s educational demands.
