Government urged to introduce feeding programme in Kwanza schools

National government has been urged to introduce a feeding programme in primary schools within Kwanza constituency where pupils were at risk of malnutrition as a result of famine.
As a relief, Deputy President’s Legal Advisor Abraham Sing’oei said he had started a programme of mapping out schools within the constituency where pupils were at risk of malnutrition so that he could introduce feeding programme in partnership with other stakeholders.
Singo’ei was speaking after inspecting a solar water powered project established by the National government at Kolongolo primary school at a cost of Sh15 million on Monday.
He said he would mobilise funds from his friends, the county and national governments to support the programme to retain students in school and improve the dwindling education standards in the area.
The Office of the Deputy President’s legal advisor noted that rolling out the feeding programme would be made easy bearing in mind that maize is produced in aplenty in the region and in Trans Nzoia County.
The water project that he inspected is set to serve more than 1, 000 community members in Kolongolo to cushion residents and pupils of the school from waterborne diseases.
Sing’oei said that for a long time residents within Kolongolo and the larger Keiyo ward in Kwanza faced challenges in accessing water as the area was sometimes hit by drought.
The head teacher of Kolongolo Primary School Everlyne Chole said the water project has improved school retention rate and the cleanliness of the compound and the pupils.
With the introduction of a water project, the head teacher urged other stakeholders to introduce feeding programme as pupils do not access food yet they spent the entire day in school.
She explained that majority of pupils in Kolongolo primary school stayed with their grand parents or guardians who were unable to provide food for them noting that due to the challenges of accessing food, the school lost 45 girls in early pregnancy between 2006 and 2007.
By Moses Wekesa/ Ikanda