A heated debate is brewing over Governor Johnson Sakaja’s “Dishi na County” school feeding program in Nairobi. An education rights advocacy group has taken the issue to court, challenging the program’s implementation.
Janet Muthoni Ouko, Executive Director of Tunza Mtoto Coalition, recently penned an open letter to Governor Sakaja, raising grave concerns about the program. Ouko contends that the Ksh1.2 billion spent to set up centralized kitchens would be better utilized in constructing Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centers and more public schools to feed the current overpopulation in education facilities.
Ouko on her part disputes the thesis school lunches are a prerequisite to beating absenteeism. In her opinion, looking at the matter from a child protection dimension, a child’s willllingness to attend school is more burdened by raising school fees than it is by hunger. This, in fact, is much different than the program’s justification that it allows children to stay in school.
Data confirms that there is gross disproportion in this regard, as the number of public primary schools in Nairobi is just 205, while non-formal schools stand at approximately 3,000. These are mainly in areas such as Kibra, Mathare, Mukuru, Kibagare, Kiambiu, Maili Saba, and Kawangware; however, the central feeding program confines its reaches to only public schools, as precisely 11.2% of children in the county access this provision, thus revealing tremendous disparities.
The former County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Education added to the criticism, arguing that the Governor’s allocation of funds for the feeding program falls outside the scope of devolved government functions. This, in their view, seems like a case of fitting a square peg into a round hole.
Her will is set to blow into the courts to stop the expenditures of the feeding programme, which she feels is further subjecting children of the society’s weakest links to more harm. She also wants the Senate to step in to ensure that county resources are rationally spent and used within the law. Ouko poses a critical question to the Senate: “Should county resources be spent at the Governor’s discretion, even when it is clearly irrational and violates legal norms?”
This debate is underscored by the need for fair and effective resource utilization in the education sector of Nairobi, looking at catering to the needs of students immediately and allowing room for change, which will prevent overcrowding and financial barriers in the future.