Kenya launches Sh94 million initiative to strengthen school feeding programmes

The Kenyan government has launched a Sh94 million project aimed at enhancing school feeding programmes in four counties.

The initiative, titled the Sustainable, Inclusive and Equitable Procurement in Home Grown School Feeding Programmes, will run for three years and aims to improve procurement systems, support local agriculture, and provide nutritious meals to more than 10 million children by 2030.

The programme focuses on Embu, Makueni, Isiolo, and Nairobi counties and seeks to increase the accessibility of locally sourced and nutritious meals for schoolchildren.

According to the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) Executive Director, Canisius Kanangire, the project will play a crucial role in positioning smallholder farmers at the heart of the home-grown school feeding strategy.

The initiative will utilize locally available, nutritious ingredients produced through sustainable agricultural practices.

Kanangire emphasized that the school feeding programme goes beyond nutrition, serving as a driver for educational and community development.

"Our goal is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, while also boosting school enrollment, attendance, and academic performance," he stated.

By focusing on local food systems, the project aims to empower communities while benefiting both children and local stakeholders such as farmers, aggregators, and processors.

Since its inception in 1980, Kenya’s school meals programme has been hailed as a model across Africa.

Currently, the National School Meals and Nutrition Strategy, which feeds 2.6 million children daily, aims to scale up the programme to reach over 10 million children by 2030.

This initiative will play a key role in ensuring that all public school students have access to at least one nutritious meal per day.

The Step project is being implemented in collaboration with the Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development, Tanager International, and the county governments of Embu, Makueni, Isiolo, and Nairobi.

It is funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Kanangire also noted that the project’s impact extends beyond just providing meals.

"The project is not just about feeding children," he explained.

"It’s about building resilient local food systems and empowering the communities involved."

He added that the initiative will contribute to long-term sustainability in local food procurement, benefiting all stakeholders involved.