Nairobi Health and Nutrition CEC Suzanne Silantoi has welcomed a High Court ruling that declined to stop the school feeding program being implemented by Governor Jonson Sakaja’s administration.
Silantoi said the ruling is significant as it will ensure thousands of Nairobi children who are in dire need of food get the much-needed meals to bolster their health and ensure they pursue their education comfortably.
She said many children have been neglected for years adding that one in four children previously missed school due to hunger.
"We are happy that the court has validated our work and we will continue to serve the people of Nairobi," Silantoisaid.
"Governor Johnson Sakaja prioritized food in schools after discovering that hunger was causing children to miss school."
She noted that since the program's inception, over 17 million meals have been served, benefiting more than 200,000 pupils who receive hot, nutritious meals daily for 5 shillings each.
Silantoi also mentioned plans to expand the program by completing seven more kitchens in Nairobi, which would bring the total to 17 kitchens serving over 307,000 children.
This, she said, will cover the entire scope of children in Nairobi’s public ECDE and Primary schools and also ensure they have access to meals.
The program will also be extended to children in informal primary schools at a later stage of implementation.
Launched last year, Dishi na County began with the groundbreaking of 10 kitchens across Nairobi.
The first meal was served on August 28, 2023.
The program is a partnership between Nairobi County and Food4Education, a non-profit organization that also operates in other counties, including Murang’a and Mombasa counties.
