The Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang has shown his frustrations to the proposed cut of the school feeding programme estimates by the Treasury.
Speaking when he appeared before the Education Committee to defend the budget on Tuesday, May 14 the PS complained of huge cuts in next year’s budget estimates totaling KSh7 billion in the recurrent budget in the 2024/2025 Financial Year budget proposals.
A move he said will affect a total of 4.5 million learners across the country.
The programme was allocated KSh4.9 billion in the current Financial Year but to a surprise of many, the Treasury decided to do away with the programme in totality.
“The biggest challenge we are facing is that the whole budget has been removed, those of us who take three meals a day might not know the feeling of what happens when a child does not have a meal in some certain parts of this country, that is why I wanted my colleagues from Treasury who think this programme is not important to be here.
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“We have to appreciate that the school feeding programme is so essential to the success of the students, that it is important in ensuring every kid gets education. We are appealing to the National Assembly to please reinstate the school feeding programme.
“It’s so important that single meal the students get at lunch time is retained. Also, a cup of porridge that is given is retained because most students come without having any meal at home. There are more than 2 million students out of school and food is part of the reason why they are not them,” Belio said.
At the same time, the Julius Melly led committee termed the move as a double standard by the government because during the campaigning period, the Kenya Kwanza government vowed to increase more funds towards the programme.
By Vostine Ratemo
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