Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja at the Dishi na County central kitchen./HANDOUT
Three years after its launch, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s Dishi na County school feeding programme is closing in on a major milestone, with the 100 millionth meal expected to be served in November.
So far, 85 million meals have been served to more than 324,000 children every school day across Nairobi’s 17 constituencies, making the programme one of the county government’s most significant social interventions.
The programme has, however, faced challenges, including legal battles, questions over its implementation and attempts to stop it.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja at the Dishi na County central kitchen./HANDOUT
For many parents, particularly those balancing work and the rising cost of living, Dishi na County has eased the worry of ensuring their children have a meal while at school.
Sakaja said the programme was established after the county found that many children were attending school hungry.
“When we looked at Nairobi, we found that nearly one in every four learners was going to school without food or missing meals altogether. We could not accept a situation where hunger was standing between a child and their education," Sakaja said.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja at the Dishi na County central kitchen./HANDOUT
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja at the Dishi na County central kitchen./HANDOUT
The governor said the programme was designed to do more than provide food, arguing that children need to be well-fed to learn effectively.
“We did not want hunger to be the reason a child could not concentrate in class, could not stay in school or had to learn on an empty stomach. Dishi na County was our commitment that every child deserves the dignity of a meal while pursuing their education.”
The programme operates through 17 central kitchens serving the city’s 17 sub-counties, with meals prepared and distributed to public schools.
Sakaja said the approaching 100 million-meal mark demonstrates what can be achieved through collective action.
“Eighty-five million meals later, and this November we shall celebrate 100 million meals. We can look back and see what collective action can achieve,” he said.
“Today, 324,000 children are being fed every school day across all 17 constituencies. But behind that number are individual children who can sit in class knowing that they will have a meal.”
Nairobi County Executive Committee Member for Health, Wellness and Nutrition Suzanne Silantoi said the programme has also eased pressure on families.
“With just Sh5, a school-going child is assured of a nutritious meal. For parents who are out working and providing for their families, that is one less thing to worry about during the day. They know that while their child is in school, they will eat,” Silantoi said.
She said the programme had also shifted the county’s approach to school hunger, from treating it as an individual household problem to recognising it as a wider social and development issue.
“When a child is hungry, it affects their ability to learn. It affects attendance, concentration and ultimately their opportunity to succeed. Feeding children is therefore not just a welfare intervention; it is an investment in Nairobi’s human capital.”
Dishi na County eyes day secondary schools
With the programme now established in public primary schools, Sakaja said the county is preparing to extend it to public day secondary schools and other underserved learners.
He said the expansion would be achievable because feeding a child in a public day secondary school is estimated to cost about 65 per cent of the current Dishi na County programme.
“The cost of day secondary school feeding is about 65 per cent of what we are currently spending on Dishi na County, so it is something we can achieve. We shall now put day secondary schools into the programme,” Sakaja said.
The expansion would build on the infrastructure already established through the 17 central kitchens operating across the county.
For the county government, the next phase is intended to extend the gains made in tackling hunger among primary school pupils to older learners who may also struggle to access regular meals during the school day.
As Nairobi prepares to celebrate the 100 millionth meal, the county says its focus remains on ensuring that more children can attend class without worrying about where their next meal will come from.
