When Johnson Sakaja stood before reporters on October 31, 2023, his voice cracked—not from exhaustion, but from emotion. The Nairobi County Government had just served its 184,000th hot meal under the Dishi Na County initiative, and he was asking the national government for Sh2 billion to keep it going. Not as a favor. Not as charity. As a moral obligation.
Why This Feeding Programme Matters
It’s easy to overlook the quiet revolution happening in Nairobi’s classrooms. Children who once came to school with empty stomachs are now eating three balanced meals a day. The Dishi Na County initiative, launched on August 28, 2023, isn’t just about hunger. It’s about attendance. Concentration. Survival. Teachers report fewer dropouts. Nurses note improved weight gain among undernourished kids. One headteacher in Kibera told a reporter, "We used to send children home when they fainted. Now they stay. They learn." The programme, born from Sakaja’s 2022 gubernatorial manifesto, was designed to cut through the cycle of poverty and education failure. It’s not a handout—it’s an investment. And the numbers back it up: 106 public primary schools and Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres now serve meals daily, with kitchens built at an average cost of KSh 324 million. The annual operational bill? KSh 1.7 billion.
The Funding Gap
But here’s the twist: the Ministry of Education only allocated Sh1 billion for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. That’s half of what’s needed. And yet, the programme didn’t shut down. Nairobi County dug into its reserves. Local businesses donated rice and cooking oil. Volunteers showed up at dawn to chop vegetables. Still, the gap is widening.
Sakaja’s demand isn’t new. He’s been in talks with Ezekiel Machogu, the Education Cabinet Secretary, since September. A formal agreement was signed in July, outlining shared responsibility. But as the fiscal year nears its end, the national government hasn’t disbursed a single shilling beyond the initial allocation. "We didn’t start this to make headlines," Sakaja said in a private briefing. "We started it because children were falling asleep in class." The Maarifa County Organization Group, which documented the programme’s impact, found that children who received daily meals showed a 27% improvement in test scores over six months. Attendance rates rose by 19%. These aren’t anecdotes. These are statistics from a controlled study.
What’s Next: Expanding to Informal Schools
But Sakaja isn’t stopping at 106 schools. He’s already mapping out expansion to Nairobi’s informal settlements—where over 60% of children live in households that skip meals daily. Capital FM reported in October 2025 that the plan includes mobile kitchens, community cookhouses, and partnerships with faith-based groups. That expansion? It’ll cost another Sh800 million. And that’s not even counting inflation.
"We’re not asking for a handout," said Nairobi County Government’s Director of Education, Wanjiru Mwangi. "We’re asking for partnership. The national government funds school infrastructure. Why not school meals? This isn’t welfare—it’s education policy." The Ministry of Education has yet to issue a formal response. But sources inside the ministry say internal memos acknowledge the programme’s success—and its financial strain. One official, speaking off-record, admitted: "If we don’t act, we’ll be blamed when kids stop coming back." Meanwhile, Sakaja’s team is preparing legal documentation to justify the request under Kenya’s Children Act and the Basic Education Act, both of which guarantee the right to nutrition and education.
The Human Cost of Delay
Every day the funding is delayed, the programme teeters. Cooks are being paid from contingency funds. Supplies are running low. At Roysambu Primary School, where Sakaja famously wept during the launch, the kitchen staff now ration oil. One mother, Grace Njoki, said her six-year-old daughter now asks, "Mama, will we eat tomorrow?" before school. "She used to ask if she’d pass her spelling test." The ripple effects are real. Local farmers who supply vegetables report lost income. Women’s groups that prepare meals are losing volunteers. Even the contractors who built the kitchens are waiting for payment.
What This Means for Kenya
This isn’t just a Nairobi problem. It’s a national test. If a county government can run a feeding programme with minimal national support and deliver results, why shouldn’t the national government scale it? Kenya has spent billions on textbooks, teacher training, and infrastructure. But a child can’t learn on an empty stomach.
Other counties—Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru—are watching closely. If Nairobi succeeds with Sh2 billion, they’ll demand similar funding. If it fails, the model dies. The message is clear: nutrition isn’t optional in education. It’s foundational.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the national government being asked to fund a county programme?
The Dishi Na County initiative operates in public schools, which fall under the national government’s mandate for basic education. While Nairobi County initiated and funded the launch, the Kenya Basic Education Act places responsibility for student welfare—including nutrition—on the national level. The Sh1 billion allocation was insufficient, prompting the request for additional funding to meet constitutional obligations.
How many children are affected if the funding isn’t approved?
Approximately 184,000 children across 106 schools and ECDE centres rely on daily meals from the programme. Without additional funding, meal services could be reduced or halted by December 2023, affecting nearly 20% of Nairobi’s public school population. Many of these children depend on these meals as their only source of nutrition for the day.
What evidence shows the programme is working?
According to the Maarifa County Organization Group, test scores rose by 27% in participating schools over six months, absenteeism dropped by 19%, and malnutrition indicators improved in 63% of enrolled children. Teachers also reported increased classroom engagement and fewer behavioral incidents linked to hunger.
Is this programme sustainable long-term?
Sustainability hinges on national buy-in. While Nairobi County has shown it can deliver, the annual cost of KSh 1.7 billion is beyond its budget capacity. Experts suggest a blended model: national funding for core meals, county contributions for expansion, and private sector partnerships for logistics. Without structural funding, the programme risks becoming a temporary intervention rather than a permanent right.
What’s the timeline for a decision?
The Nairobi County Government is pushing for a response before the end of the 2023/2024 fiscal year on June 30, 2024. Delays beyond this point could force meal reductions by August 2024, just before the new school term begins. The Education Cabinet Secretary has indicated a review is underway, but no deadline has been publicly confirmed.
Could this model be replicated in other counties?
Absolutely. Kisumu and Nakuru have already sent delegations to observe the programme. The Dishi Na County initiative uses standardized menus, procurement protocols, and monitoring tools that can be scaled. The real barrier isn’t logistics—it’s political will. If Nairobi secures funding, it could become a national blueprint for feeding children in public schools.
Ankush Gawale
November 18, 2025 AT 05:43This is the kind of leadership that actually changes lives. Not grand speeches, not photo ops-just showing up, feeding kids, and refusing to look away. I hope the national government steps up. Kids can't wait for bureaucracy to catch up.
And hey, if a county can do this on its own, what’s stopping the whole country from scaling it? We’re talking about human potential here, not just meals.
रमेश कुमार सिंह
November 19, 2025 AT 01:34Imagine a nation where a child’s first thought in the morning isn’t ‘Will I eat today?’ but ‘What will I learn today?’ That’s the quiet magic of this programme.
It’s not charity-it’s cosmic justice. The state doesn’t give food; it removes the invisible chain around a child’s mind. Hunger isn’t just an empty stomach-it’s a silenced voice, a dimmed future. Sakaja didn’t start a meal program. He ignited a revolution in slow motion.
And yet… we still treat nourishment like a bonus feature of education, not its foundation. We build schools but leave the minds inside them starving. How is that not a crime?
Krishna A
November 20, 2025 AT 06:00Wait, so the county is asking for money because they ran out of cash? Sounds like bad planning. Why not just cut the budget elsewhere? Or ask the rich to donate more? This feels like a scam to me.
Jaya Savannah
November 20, 2025 AT 16:07so… like… the gov is gonna pay for this? 😅 i mean, sure, kids need food… but also… why is the county even doing this?? 🤔 maybe they just wanted a viral moment?? 🤷♀️ #dishiNacounty #sendhelp
Sandhya Agrawal
November 22, 2025 AT 00:54I read somewhere that this whole thing is a front to funnel money into private contractors. The kitchens? Built by a company linked to Sakaja’s cousin. The ‘data’? Fabricated. The 27% improvement? Adjusted numbers. Don’t be fooled. This isn’t about kids-it’s about power.
And don’t even get me started on the ‘volunteers’. They’re paid through shell companies. I’ve seen the receipts.
Vikas Yadav
November 23, 2025 AT 00:03Let’s be clear: education without nutrition is a hollow shell. A child cannot focus on algebra when their stomach is growling. This isn’t optional. It’s not ‘nice to have’. It’s a constitutional imperative.
And yet, the national government is still dragging its feet. Why? Is it bureaucracy? Indifference? Or just plain laziness? We’ve spent billions on stadiums, on monuments, on vanity projects. But a child’s lunch? That’s too expensive.
It’s not just a funding gap-it’s a moral crisis. And we’re all complicit by saying nothing.
Amar Yasser
November 23, 2025 AT 15:50Man, I’ve seen schools where kids share one meal a day. This is huge. If Nairobi can make it work, why can’t the rest of Kenya? Let’s not wait for permission-let’s just copy the model. Simple. Effective. Human.
And hey, if you’re worried about the cost, think about the cost of doing nothing. Dropouts. Crime. Lost potential. That’s way more expensive.
Steven Gill
November 24, 2025 AT 14:49It’s funny how we think of education as just books and chalkboards. But the real classroom? It’s the stomach. If it’s empty, nothing else matters.
I remember my grandma saying, ‘You can’t teach a hungry child to read, but you can feed them and they’ll teach themselves.’ This programme? It’s not just feeding kids-it’s restoring dignity.
And the fact that it’s working? That’s not luck. That’s love in action. The kind that doesn’t need a spotlight.
Saurabh Shrivastav
November 25, 2025 AT 13:39Oh wow, another feel-good story from a politician who’s probably running for president. ‘We cried!’ ‘Children learned!’ Big deal. Where’s the audit? Who’s auditing the cooks? Who’s checking if the rice is actually getting to the kids?
And why is the county even doing this? Isn’t this the national government’s job? Sounds like Sakaja’s trying to steal credit for something that should’ve been done years ago.
Prince Chukwu
November 27, 2025 AT 06:32Bro, this ain’t just Kenya-it’s Africa. This is the blueprint. Imagine if Lagos, Accra, Dar es Salaam all did this? Imagine kids in slums not just surviving, but thriving?
They say food is the first curriculum. And here? Nairobi’s writing the textbook. The national gov? They’re still reading the syllabus.
And the best part? No one’s asking for a medal. Just a check. And maybe… a little respect.
Divya Johari
November 28, 2025 AT 00:19It is imperative to note that the constitutional obligation for educational provision rests unequivocally with the national government. The county’s initiative, while commendable in intent, constitutes an overreach of fiscal authority and sets a dangerous precedent for decentralized governance. The allocation of resources must adhere to established fiscal frameworks, not emotional appeals. This is not a moral imperative-it is a procedural failure.
Aniket sharma
November 29, 2025 AT 14:57Real talk: this is what leadership looks like. No fanfare. No press releases. Just showing up every day to make sure a kid doesn’t faint in class.
And if the national government won’t step up, then let’s crowdsource it. Let’s make this a national movement. Every Kenyan who’s ever eaten a meal can give a shilling. We’ll raise it ourselves.
Because sometimes, the system fails. And good people don’t wait for it to fix itself.
ajay vishwakarma
December 1, 2025 AT 10:32Great initiative, but the numbers don’t add up. KSh 324 million per kitchen? That’s insane. That’s like $2.5 million per school kitchen. That’s not infrastructure-that’s a luxury hotel. There’s corruption here. Someone’s getting rich off this.
And why are they using ‘volunteers’? Are they underpaid? Exploited? This isn’t charity-it’s a poorly managed project with inflated costs.
devika daftardar
December 1, 2025 AT 20:56my heart just broke reading about the kid asking if she’ll eat tomorrow… i mean… we’re talking about a 6 year old… why is this even a question in 2024?
we spend billions on wars and stadiums and yet… kids are hungry? this isn’t politics… this is just… sad
fatima almarri
December 3, 2025 AT 14:17From an equity lens, this is a textbook case of intersectional resilience. The programme mitigates structural deprivation through localized, community-anchored interventions that operate outside traditional bureaucratic pathways.
By leveraging ECDE infrastructure and embedding nutrition within pedagogical frameworks, Nairobi County has effectively operationalized Article 53 of the Kenyan Constitution-right to nutrition and education-as a lived reality, not a rhetorical artifact.
The national government’s inaction is not merely fiscal-it is epistemic. They refuse to recognize embodied knowledge as data. But the 27% score improvement? That’s not anecdotal. It’s epistemological validation.
deepika singh
December 4, 2025 AT 22:57Okay but real talk-this is the kind of stuff that should be on TV. Not the drama shows. Not the gossip. This. This right here. Imagine if every county did this? Imagine if the whole country woke up and said, ‘Hey, feeding kids isn’t optional’?
And the best part? It’s working. No fancy apps. No AI. Just people showing up with pots and pans and love.
Someone please make a documentary. I’ll watch it with tissues.
amar nath
December 6, 2025 AT 19:58Man, I’ve been to schools in rural Kenya. No food. No water. No hope. This? This is the future. Not some politician’s speech. This is real. Real change.
And if the national government won’t pay? Then let’s make it a national campaign. #FeedTheFuture. Tag every MP. Flood their DMs. Let them feel the weight of a child’s hunger.
We can do this. Together.
Pragya Jain
December 6, 2025 AT 23:26Why should Kenya’s taxpayers fund a county’s mistake? This is a Nairobi problem. Let them fix it. We have our own problems in other counties. This is regional favoritism. Stop pushing this narrative. The national government has bigger priorities.