School feeding programme boon both for pupils and small scale farmers

Mr Harm Duiker, the Country Director, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation speaks during the National Learning Event held in Nairobi. The government has said it will continue to fund the Home Grown school feeding programme saying it benefits both the pupils and small scale farmers. PHOTO | COURTESY

By  BEATRICE OBWOCHA

What you need to know:

  • In the current financial year, the government allocated Sh850 million for the school meals programme.
  • WFP continues to provide technical support to the ministry in the implementation of the cash transfer feeding programme that has gradually been replacing the in-kind one.
  • Mrs Rotich urged stakeholders in the sector to be instrumental in the capacity building of schools.

The government will continue to fund the Home Grown school feeding programme.

The project has started expanding to schools in arid regions of Kenya, the education secretary, Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MOEST), Mrs Leah Rotich has said.

Speaking while closing the National Learning Event on Procurement Governance for Home Grown School Feeding, Mrs Rotich reiterated that feeding is critical to the children’s education as well as providing market for smallholder farmers.

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In the current financial year, the government allocated Sh850 million for the school meals programme.

PARTNERSHIP WITH WFP

The Education ministry has had a long partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) since the inception of the in-kind feeding programme in 1980.

WFP continues to provide technical support to the ministry in the implementation of the cash transfer feeding programme that has gradually been replacing the in-kind one.

Others partners include the ministries of Agriculture and Health.

Working under the guidance of the Education ministry, the have been reviewing the school meals implementation guidelines in order to strengthen the participation of smallholder farmers, improve accountability and value for money as well as align the programme implementation and management to the system of national and county governments.

These guidelines will be released in 2016.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that training schools on the implementation of the school meals guideline is critical for the success of the feeding programme once the guidelines are completed.

Mrs Rotich urged stakeholders in the sector to be instrumental in the capacity building of schools.

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