Sakaja's Dishi na county feeding programme to be rolled out in phases

The Nairobi's Dishi na County School Feeding Programme set to be rolled out on Monday will be implemented in four phases.

The programme, initiated by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, will see children in primary schools get meals at a subsidised cost of Sh5.

Speaking to the Star, Health executive Susan Silantoi said due to logistics and other vital matters, they decided to roll out the programme in four phases.

This means that on Monday, not all public schools and ECDE centres will get the food.

"However, this does not mean that the programme is only for a few selected schools, eventually, every child in public school will experience the meal," Silantoi said.

The launch will take place at Baba Dogo where Governor Sakaja will oversee the exercise.

It is not confirmed whether President William Ruto will grace the event or not.

Breaking the phases, the CEC said phase one targets 28 schools. The last phase will be launched in January, she said.

"How phase two and three will take place will depend on the phase one, which we are ready to launch," Silantoi added.

She said the launch in phases will also help the county government to improve in areas where there might be hitches.

The specific schools that will benefit from the programme on Monday had not been revealed by press time.

Ten central kitchens for the programme have been under construction since June ahead of the launch.

 They are located in Dagoretti North, Embakasi Central, Embakasi South, Kasarani, Kibra, Makadara, Starehe, Roysambu, Ruaraka, and Westlands subcounties.

They are being constructed in Baba Dogo Primary School, Bidii Primary School, Kwa Njenga Primary, Farasi Lane Primary, Muthangari Primary, Kayole One Primary, Njiru Primary, Toi Primary, Roysambu Primary and Racecourse Primary.

Silantoi said most of the kitchens are almost complete, while some are ready.

For the staff, the CEC said at least 1,500 people will be contracted and the county targets guardians and parents.

"We are targeting to have parents and guardians because these are the people who know how to handle children and they will be paid as per the contract," she added.

Parents and guardians have been told to ensure their children carry a plate and a spoon for their meals.

"Due to logistics, we expect that children carry plates or lunch boxes to school. If more money is pumped into the project, the county will definitely provide the items," Silantoi said.

Mode of payment

Payments for the meals will be made using a new short USSD code *648#.

The Tap2Eat is a digital platform that allows one to make daily lunch payments via M-Pesa.

However, children whose parents cannot afford the amount will still benefit from the meals.

How food will be transported

CEC Silantoi told the Star the food will be prepared starting at 4am in the various completed kitchens.

By 10am, the cooking is suppose to have been completed, the food packed and ready for transportation to the schools.

"Our partner, Food4Education which owns the Industrial Area mega kitchen is responsible for transportation and logistics and is very ready for today's [Monday] rollout," Silanoti added.

The trucks should be at the various schools before 12.30pm, which is the exact time lunch hour starts.

Sakaja said the project is part of a vision he had for years.

He said the programme will ensure the provision of a daily nutritionally balanced hot meal for all children in public primary schools and public early childhood development centres.

In his first budget for 2023-24, Sakaja allocated Sh1.2 billion towards the feeding programme.

Some Sh500 million was allocated to building seven more kitchens and the rest to subsidise the cost of a plate for each child.

Last month, Governor Sakaja signed an intergovernmental partnership agreement with the national government on the implementation of a school meal plan in Nairobi.

The Sh1.7 billion agreement sets forth the terms of understanding between the parties in the implementation of the school meals programme in public primary schools in Nairobi.

The signing was between the governor and Education CS Ezekiel Machogu and was witnessed by Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u 

The agreement took effect on July 17, for three years.