The government will reinforce its pledge to strengthen the School Feeding Programme in schools across the country after the Treasury allocated Ksh5 billion to the programme in the fiscal year 2022/23 Budget presented yesterday.
In the Ksh3.6 trillion Budget presented by Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS) Njuguna Ndung’ u at the National Assembly on Thursday, the funds are expected to implement the programme in all public schools countrywide as promised by President Ruto in his pre-election campaigns.
Ruto said the move will increase enrolment and retention of pupils in schools, and ensure a better diet for learners.
“By implementing this programme, our children won’t have to go out looking for lunch or even go without food,” he said.
However, while appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on June 7, 2023, Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu noted that payment of lunch fees in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) was optional.
He clarified that parents are responsible for their children’s meals, according to guidelines of the Implementation of Junior Secondary School.
“Guideline 8.6 (i) states that “Provision of school meals in JSS shall be the responsibility of the parents/guardians” while (iii) states that “The JSS leadership shall ensure that no learner drops out of school as a result of failure to pay the lunch programme fees,” Machogu said.
The CS noted that the two clauses did not contradict each other; saying that in clause (i), parents could either decide to pay fees for provision of lunch at school or pack lunch for their children.
“What normally happens is that the Board of Management convenes a meeting comprising the parents of that particular school and agree on a figure that each parent is supposed to pay towards the provision of lunch to their young ones, and then they pay that. It is not mandatory, it is optional. There are parents who say yes, I’m not going to pay, I will be able to provide such that my child can carry food from home to school.” He said.
By Vostine Ratemo
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