Sakaja denies loss of Sh144mn, says donor funds subsidized school meals » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 3 — Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja has refuted claims City Hall has lost Sh144 million donated by the French Government to the Dishi Na County Programme.
Speaking before the Senate committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations in Machakos, Governor Sakaja clarified that donation was made to Food4Education to support their school feeding programme including in Nairobi and the money was not paid directly to the Nairobi City County Government as alleged by a section of the media.
Governor Sakaja further reaffirmed that the money in question has been used for food subsidies to cushion 25,000 learners who are unable to afford the Sh5 required per child.
The Governor explained that Dishi na County feeds 184,000 meals per day against an enrolment of 360,000 children, which means more than half of the children have access to the meals.
The number of children receiving meals under the programme is expected to increase when schools open this term with eight new schools coming on board.
“Let us not politicise the dishi na county school feeding program. This program continues to improve the nutritional status of the children and also encourages students to attend school leading 5o an increase in enrollment, performance, and transition to higher levels of education,” Governor Sakaja tod Senators.
Dishi na County was launched in 2023 with the ground breaking of 10 kitchens across the county with the first meal served on 28 Augusts 2023.
In January this year the second phase of the programme was launched increasing the number of children receiving a hot nutritious meal to 184,000 from 80,000 meals.
In March 2024, ground breaking of seven new kitchens was done. Once the kitchens are completed the Dishi na County Programme will be feeding over 300,000 students in public primary schools and ECDs across Nairobi County.
He assured parents of the County commitment in ensuring that the Dishi Na County program is successful once schools reopen.
Nairobi County partnered with Food4Education, a non profit organisation to implement the program. Food4Education also operates in other counties including Murang’a and Mombasa.
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