A new report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu shows that most schools have inadequate food storage facilities with their kitchens dogged with inadequacies that compromise food safety.
The development comes as the auditor faulted the government for erratic cash disbursement that has made many schools struggle to feed students.
The report could trigger fresh concern over food poisoning fears in public schools.
In May, four Mukumu Girls' High School students died in a case of suspected food contamination.
According to the report, none of the 22 schools vetted had food stores that met food safety regulations.
“None of the schools had put in place adequate measures to prevent invasion of pests in food commodities stores,” the report states.
“For example, Kone Primary School had to dispose of rice and beans in August 2020, that had been infested by black insects and mould,” the report says.
Some 16 out of 22 schools did not have stores spacious enough to store one term's food stock.
At Ledero Primary School, the entire food store is only six square metres.
“Some 12 schools did not have proper windows to enhance ventilation for prevention of moisture contamination of food commodities,” the report states.
Worse, the report states that most of the stores had temporary structures thus being prone to burglary.
At Fahari Primary School, eight bags of rice and two jerry cans of cooking oil were stolen during school holiday.
To mitigate the risks of food safety, the Home-Grown School meals implementation guidelines require that a properly maintained food store should be clean and free from pests, well ventilated, secure and located away from dumping sites and spacious enough to ensure safety and security of food.
The report states that kitchens in most schools lacked proper ventilation, have no access to clean water and lacks clean food preparation surfaces.
“None of the kitchens met all the required standards. The inadequacy of the kitchen conditions poses a risk to the safety and quality of food consumed by pupils,” the report states.
In what poses even more threat to students, most schools lack clean and safe water essential for food preparation, drinking, cleaning of utensils and handwashing.
It shows that 19 of the 30 sampled schools did not have access to a reliable source of water.
“The inadequate access to water at schools pose challenges to the preparation of food and health of pupils,” Gathungu said in the report.
The report further revealed delays in the delivery of food commodities.
Food commodities were delivered seven days into a school term leading to pupils doing days without meals. The delays ranged from seven days in Lanzoni Primary School to 93 days in KMQ Primary School.
The delays is caused by disbarment of funds to schools by the ministry to procure the food commodities.
“For instance, in 2019, funds meant for term two were disbursed on May 27, 2019, 28 days after schools had opened,” the report shows.
Besides the erratic supply of food commodities, the food delivered was not a complete basket as recommended.
Pupils are supposed to be served a meal comprising cereals, pulses, vegetable oil and salt which form a complete food basket.
In 2022, all schools in Tana North subcounty only received rice without the accompanying pulses, salt and vegetable oil causing the pupils to only consume rice, the report states.