Sakaja’s school feeding dream: It must work

The County Assembly of Nairobi last week passed the biggest-ever budget by a devolved unit. But the icing on the cake was the allocation of Sh1.2 billion to the primary school and ECDE feeding programme targeting more than 250,000 children.

Dishi na County programme, which is Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s brainchild, would become the biggest of its kind in Africa. MCAs unanimously endorsed it. I want it to succeed.

Back in 2015, with the help of friends and family, I set up a small kitchen in Mutuini Ward, Dagoretti South Constituency, to provide hot meals to neglected and vulnerable children. Seven years later, 150 hitherto destitute children who couldn’t afford the food provided in school are back in class, healthy. They can study and live with dignity and hope and dream about a better future for themselves. So, I know food for education works.

Detractors say feeding school children is not the top need for the city’s education sector. And that lack of food is not the only issue that keeps children out of school. Both arguments are true. But providing nutritious and adequate meals to children in school will not hinder the governor from addressing other issues.

In just 10 months, Governor Sakaja has released close to Sh1.5 billion for bursaries--half the amounts his predecessors gave out in 10 years--with the cheques for secondary school students issued every term. On Wednesday, he released Sh100 million towards free ECDE and promised to enhance the salaries of the tutors. This is besides Sh31 million released for county vocational training colleges to subsidise fees. And City Hall will, jointly with the national government, construct 5,000 classrooms in Nairobi over three years.

Godsend for poorest families

The school feeding programme is a godsend for the poorest families in the county. For instance, the most affordable of such arrangements in Dagoretti South costs Sh15 a day per child; Dishi na County will cost Sh5. A parent can put the savings into a business and improve the family’s finances.

Of course, like bursaries, the programme will not benefit all the children. This is a significant concern that needs to be addressed. However, growth is progressive and, over time, the numbers will improve.

Fully aware of the oversight role of the Legislature, MCAs will demand accountability even as this progressive idea keeps more children in school besides enhancing their health and dignity. This is besides reducing delinquency, recruitment into crime and drugs rings and, eventually, crime. It means the future of the child and the city and country is well guaranteed.

That past governments embezzled public funds or started similar programmes as PR stunts is not a sufficient reason to not support this dream. It ought to work.

Mr Mwangi, the MCA for Mutuini Ward, in Dagoretti South Constituency, Nairobi, is the founder of Mutuini Hope Centre. [email protected].