Of Sakaja and 'el chapo' promise: Chapati making machine finally lands in Nairobi

New Chapati Machine At Toi Primary, Nairobi. [David Gichuru, Standard]

More than a year after President Ruto's chapati machine pledge made him the butt of jokes, Nairobi schools have started getting chapati from a machine making 2,000 an hour.

The machine sits at Toi Primary Kitchen, part of the Dishi na County school feeding programme.

In March 2025, Ruto promised to buy a machine that could make 1 million chapatis a day.

The promise came after Governor Johnson Sakaja asked for help feeding pupils. Kenyans mocked the pledge online and nicknamed Ruto "El Chapo."

New Chapati Machine At Toi Primary, Nairobi. [David Gichuru, Standard]

Some lawmakers, including Babu Owino, said the county had bigger problems to solve.

By October 2025, Sakaja revealed the machine the county actually bought could only make 6,000 to 8,000 chapatis an hour, far below what was promised.

Chapatis from the new machine will go to schools on a set schedule, with each school getting its own chapati day.

Sakaja said the machine shows the county keeps its word.

"We don't do politics with the lives of the people that we serve. We don't promise to be heard, we promise to deliver," he said.

 "We have been able to secure the machine and it is up and running."

More than 324,000 pupils benefit from the programme.

"We have 324,000 pupils to serve," the governor added, noting, “A timetable has been put in place and each school will have its day to enjoy chapatis."

The programme has served more than 85 million meals in three years and is expected to hit 100 million this term.

Sakaja called the coming milestone a big deal for a programme that has faced doubt, political attacks and court cases.

 "It is a dream come true. We have moved from a situation where one in every four pupils could miss school because of lack of food to now feeding more than 324,000 learners. Some children even carry food home," he noted.

Pupils pay Sh5 for each meal.

Pupils at Toi Primary School were served chapati's after the machine was officially launched. [David Gichuru, Standard]

"It has not been easy to see the Dishi na County programme succeed through doubts, politics and court cases, among other challenges," Sakaja explained.

"Today, we are feeding over 324,000 learners across all 17 sub-counties in 230 public schools, and we shall not stop."

The county plans to extend the programme to public day secondary schools, and is also working on a plan to reach children in informal settlements.

"The other frontier is secondary schools, and for informal schools, a plan is underway. We shall be able to deliver. All we need is patience, planning and execution,” he said.

County Executive Committee Member for Health, Wellness and Nutrition Suzanne Silantoi said the new machine marks a good moment for the programme.

"The introduction of the chapati machine comes at an exciting time for Dishi na County. We are approaching 100 million meals served, but beyond that number are hundreds of thousands of children who can count on a hot meal every school day,” Silantoi observed.

Toi Primary Kitchen manager Angela Muchai said pupils are happy with the change.

"The kids are so happy to have chapati included in their meals," Muchai added, adding, “You can really see the joy when they receive their food."

The county says it will keep the programme running, improve meal quality and reach more pupils across Nairobi as it nears the 100 million meal mark.