Five primary schools in the Kishushe, Taita Taveta County received a timely boost on Friday when Kishushe Ranching Cooperative Society, distributed food supplies worth Ksh 150,000, offering relief to thousands of pupils struggling to attend school due to hunger.
The food distribution exercise, which benefited 1,528 pupils across the beneficiary schools, was supported by the East African Safari Classic Rally organizers, who used part of Kishushe Ranch during their event in December 2025.
The donation comprising 23 bags of maize and four bags of beans, were distributed equitably among Kishushe Primary School with 675 pupils, Ngongodinyi Primary School with 315 pupils, Mlilo Primary School with 350 pupils, Mkanyatta Primary School with 113 pupils, and Daku Primary School with 75 pupils.
Wilfred Mwalimo, the ranch secretary, explained that the East African Classic Safari Rally organizers compensated the ranch with Ksh 150,000 for using part of the land during their December 2025 event, and the leadership decided to use the money to procure food for schools.
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“This food does not come from the account of the ranch; we were given by the sponsors of the East African Classic Safari Rally. This money was for the Kishushe community but it came through the Kishushe Ranching Cooperative Society Ltd. On behalf of the community, I want to thank the East African Classic Safari Rally for the good gesture,” Mwalimo said.
However, the secretary acknowledged that the food would not be sufficient to cover the entire school term, revealing a deficit of 157 bags of maize and 50 bags of beans.
He expressed hope that other investors and well-wishers expected to work in the ranch would contribute additional food supplies to sustain the feeding programme.
The intervention comes against the backdrop of severe drought that has devastated the area for approximately two and a half years, leaving parents without income or food to provide for their children’s education.
“The area has not received rain for about two and a half years now and therefore parents don’t have money and food to bring to schools for their pupils,” Mwalimo stated, adding that most pupils fail to attend school due to lack of food and parents’ inability to pay fees due to unemployment.
Joshua Mwawasi, a parent from Kishushe Primary School, welcomed the donation, noting that it would significantly improve school attendance.
“The food that we have received will really help our kids because pupils were coming to school in very low numbers because they didn’t have food. Kishushe area has not experienced rainfall in the past two years and parents have nothing from their farms to feed their kids neither do they have jobs to cater for their demanding needs,” he said.
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To address the long-term sustainability of the school feeding programme, Mwalimo revealed that the ranch has Ksh 30 million in its account designated for corporate social responsibility in the Kishushe community.
He proposed that the community should meet to deliberate on using part of these funds to purchase food for all schools in the lower lands of Kishushe for the entire term.
“The chairlady has requested that, if possible, the parents who are also the residents of Kishushe be called in a meeting so that part of the money which was meant for CSR to buy food for all the schools that are in lower lands of Kishushe so that parents can also rest in this one term from buying food for their pupils in school,” Mwalimo said.
He emphasized that the board has the right to advise the community on the prudent use of CSR funds while acknowledging that the final decision rests with the community members.
Matilda Waleghwa, the Chairperson of Kishushe Ranching Cooperative Society Ltd, assured parents that the ranch leadership would work to ensure the programme’s sustainability.
She stated that investors have assured of support and that her committee would be at the forefront of ensuring every pupil from Kishushe is catered for in terms of school feeding.
As part of future agreements with investors, Mwalimo indicated that the ranch would require incoming investors to provide food for schools in the area as part of their community obligations, ensuring pupils can remain in school and focus on their education.
By Michael Oduor
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