Food aid has been suspended in 16 schools after a viral video showed pupils being led by a teacher to recite Hindu prayers before receiving donated meals. The suspension will affect schools in Ganze Subcounty, Kilifi County.
The footage sparked widespread outrage, with many Kenyans condemning the practice.
According to Kilifi County Commissioner Josphat Biwot, the suspension affects 16 primary schools and one secondary school in the Bitegeni area. He confirmed that pupils had been compelled to participate in the religious rituals before accessing the aid.
“As we speak, we have stopped all supplies from that foundation until further notice. If you want to help, do so in a good way, not by forcing learners into practices that are clearly wrong, as seen in those video clips,” Biwot said.
Food Aid Suspended in 16 Kilifi County Schools After Students Coerced to Recite Hindu Prayers Before Meal
The Commissioner explained that while the donors had been supplying food to the schools since 2019, the requirement to recite prayers only began this third term.
“We received reports that in August, during the holiday, teachers from 17 schools — 16 primary and one secondary — were summoned to Mombasa for a meeting where the feeding program system was changed. That’s how these practices came about,” Biwot added.
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Another viral clip drew further condemnation after it showed a pupil facing a blackboard while chanting Hare Krishna which is part of Hindu prayers. In the staffroom of one of the schools, portraits linked to the Krishna Foundation could also be seen hanging on the walls.
The revelations of children being coerced to recite Hindu prayers have fueled nationwide outrage, with the majority of Kenyans calling for the arrest of teachers enabling the act.
Social media user Victor Makau blamed leaders for failing to act. “All these things happen because our MPs have completely failed. They are the ones who should be raising such issues in Parliament,” he said.
Kenyans React to Children Reciting Prayers
Another Kenyan, called Watete, demanded accountability, calling for the arrest of teachers and local administrators who allowed the practice.
“The headmaster, donors, and officials enabling this should all face justice,” the user insisted.
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The Elimu Bora Working Group also condemned the incident, stating:
“No child should be coerced to compromise their beliefs for food or education.” The lobby urged that schools remain neutral spaces and called on the government to provide unconditional, state-funded school feeding programs.
Another Kenyan, Godfrey Kimega, weighed in, saying, “The real question is: how many African Kenyans are active in charity organisations? It’s easy to criticise someone else who is addressing the needs on the ground.”
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