Kenya's President expands school feeding program, benefiting 4M children.

 

Kenyan President William Ruto announced plans to significantly expand the reach of the school feeding program during the launch event held in Nairobi. With the aim of addressing the pressing issue of hunger, Ruto pledged to increase the number of children benefitting from the program to 4 million, a substantial rise from the current 1.6 million recipients. The government has allocated an impressive $35.67 million to ensure the successful execution of the program.

 

In his address, President Ruto expressed his determination to eradicate the disgraceful presence of hunger within the country. Recognizing the adverse consequences of food scarcity on education, he emphasized the importance of a targeted and dedicated approach to implementing the school feeding initiative.

 

Kenya officially assumed responsibility for the school feeding program from the World Food Programme (WFP) in October 2018, concentrating its efforts on providing daily lunches to 1.6 million school children in arid and semi-arid regions. The government identified the closure of schools due to food and water shortages as a detrimental factor leading to disrupted learning, early marriages, teenage pregnancies, child labor, and forced displacement among vulnerable communities.

 

Ezekiel Machogu, the cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Education, underscored the collaborative efforts between his ministry and other stakeholders, emphasizing their commitment to ensuring the seamless execution and positive outcomes of the expanded school feeding program.