Sakaja Eyes Expansion of ‘Dishi na County’ to Informal Schools Amid Budget Constraints
NAIROBI — Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has pledged to extend the county’s flagship school feeding programme, Dishi na County, to learners in informal schools, acknowledging financial and infrastructural challenges that currently limit its reach. Speaking before the Senate Education Committee at Bunge Tower, Sakaja outlined a plan to initially integrate informal school children through nearby public schools equipped with central kitchens.
Currently, the programme operates 17 central kitchens serving 316,000 learners across 230 public primary and Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres in Nairobi. Sakaja explained that fully covering all informal schools would require 69 additional kitchens, a cost the county budget cannot yet accommodate. To bridge the gap, the county plans to allow children from informal institutions to access meals at nearby public schools, ensuring they benefit from nutritious lunches while a long-term expansion plan is developed.
Launched in 2023, Dishi na County has been praised for improving school attendance, retention, and focus among children in low-income areas. The governor reiterated his commitment to reaching every child in Nairobi, including those in informal settlements, but admitted that doing so would require a substantial investment in both infrastructure and operational support. Senators pressed Sakaja on strategies to extend coverage to the thousands of children currently outside the programme, highlighting the urgent need for equitable access to school meals across the city.