Governors to tackle malnutrition in ECD centres with new feeding policy

When President William Ruto served lunch to students of Toi Primary School under the transformative Dishi Na County programme in Kibra Constituency, Nairobi County. [PCS]

The Council of Governors (CoG), in partnership with Food for Education, is developing a model school feeding policy aimed at helping counties implement sustainable and locally appropriate nutrition programmes for Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres.

CoG Education Committee Chairperson Erick Mutai told County Education Executive Committee Members (CECMs) that the 47 devolved units continue to face major challenges in addressing malnutrition among pre-primary learners.

Mutai, who is also the Governor of Kericho, said persistent malnutrition—manifesting as stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies—was undermining cognitive development and academic performance among young learners nationwide.

“The policy seeks to implement quality, accessible and equitable school feeding programs county-wide, besides establishing robust financing mechanisms and multi-sectoral partnerships, prioritising local food procurement and farmer cooperatives and deploy evidence-based evaluation systems,” said Mutai.

He added that the plan includes embedding school feeding in County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs), creating dedicated funding streams and capitation grants, and building strategic partnerships with the private sector and local communities.

Counties will also prioritize home-grown food procurement, strengthen farmer cooperative linkages to school feeding initiatives, and support the creation of school gardens and agricultural clubs.

“We will be involving communities by hosting nutrition education forums and establish school meal committees, integrate inclusive feedback systems for marginalized groups and promote community ownership and oversight mechanisms,” said Mutai.

The Governor said that if the programme succeeds, it will ensure improved nutrition with enhanced nutritional status through targeted meal guidelines and micronutrient supplementation with increased attendance and cognitive development.

President William Ruto is served lunch by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja at Toi Primary School under the transformative Dishi Na County programme in Kibra Constituency, Nairobi County. [PCS]

A comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (MERL) system with digital tracking will also be rolled out, aligned with national frameworks but adapted to local needs through intergovernmental collaboration.

“Post-devolution initiatives suffer from insufficient funding, unclear policy frameworks, fragmented programs, and inadequate institutionalization, creating vulnerability to external shocks,” added Mutai.

The CoG believes that the policy will strengthen local economies through farmer partnerships and achieve universal coverage, ensuring no child is left out due to poverty or marginalization.

In Nairobi County, a school feeding model dubbed Dishi na County Programme has already been implemented, providing meals to 310,000 pupils across 230 primary schools.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the programme, which includes 17 central kitchens (one per sub-county), has boosted school attendance in informal settlements. He thanked President William Ruto for supporting classroom construction, noting a 34% increase in enrollment.

“Dishi na County kitchens are producing 1,000 meals each, covering hundreds of primary schools in the city every school day with the intention of ensuring that pupils are able to get quality meals since some of them come from disadvantaged backgrounds where their families cannot afford to give them quality meals for lunch,” said Sakaja.