Nairobi, Kenya: The Government spent over Sh800 million on the school feeding programme in Arid and Semi-Arid areas (ASALs) in the last financial year. According to a report from the Ministry of Education, the money benefited over 1.6 million learners from 4,549 schools.

The programme is said to augment the Free Primary Education (FPE) efforts by providing a meal at schools to ensure pupils from food-scarce areas remain in schools and targets schools in 64 sub-counties in the ASALs and targeted schools in informal urban settlements of Nairobi.

"Counties whose pupils benefit include Turkana, West Pokot, Marsabit, Samburu, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River and Baringo," the report partly reads.

Other area targetted include Machakos, Taita Taveta, Kajiado, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Makueni, Narok, Kilifi, Kwale and Lamu.