Nairobi County’s Dishi Na County feeding program, spearheaded by Governor Johnson Sakaja, has come under scrutiny due to the alleged mismanagement of a large donation of Ksh 144 million from the French Government.
The controversy began when a section of the media reported that the county had lost the Ksh 144 million intended to support the school feeding initiative.
However, Governor Sakaja, while speaking before the Senate committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations in Machakos, has refuted these claims.
Sakaja explained that the donation was made directly to Food4Education, a non-profit organization that is the implementing partner in the Dishi Na County program, and not to the Nairobi City County Government as alleged.
He further emphasized that the funds were used to provide food subsidies for 25,000 children who could not afford the daily contribution of KSh 5 per child.
“The money in question has been used for food subsidies to cushion 25,000 learners who are unable to afford the Ksh5 shillings required per child,” Sakaja stated.
Also Read: Activist Threatens to Sue Sakaja Over the School Feeding Programme
The Dishi Na County program, launched in 2023, has been instrumental in providing nutritious meals to children in public primary schools and Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers across Nairobi County.
Sakaja gives details of the program
According to the governor, the program currently feeds 184,000 meals per day, catering to an enrollment of 360,000 children. This means that more than half of the children in Nairobi have access to these meals.
Sakaja noted that the number of children receiving meals under the program is expected to increase as schools reopen this term, with eight new schools joining the initiative.
“Let us not politicize 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 to an increase in enrollment, performance, and transition to higher levels of education,” Sakaja said.
He also assured parents of the county’s commitment to ensuring the success of the Dishi Na County program.
Launch of the program
The Dishi Na County program was launched with the groundbreaking of 10 kitchens across the county, with the first meal served on August 28, 2023.
In January 2024, the second phase of the program was launched, increasing the number of children receiving a hot, nutritious meal from 80,000 to 184,000.
Also Read: Governor Sakaja Explains Why He Wept During Launch of School Feeding Programme
In March 2024, the county government broke ground for seven new kitchens which, once complete, are expected to increase the Dishi Na County feeding capacity to over 300,000 students in public primary schools and ECDs across Nairobi County.
Nairobi County has partnered with Food4Education, a non-profit organization, to implement the Dishi Na County program.
Notably, the organization also operates in other counties, including Murang’a and Mombasa.
Do you want to be part of an updated community without the interruptions of unwanted messages? Click the link below and join our WhatsApp Channel!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaB3k54HltYFiQ1f2i2C
