The government is feeding more than 2.5 million learners in Arid and Semi-Arid counties and also urban informal settlements areas.
Education CS Ezekiel Machogu has said the beneficiary learners are spread in ten ASAL counties, 16 Semi-Arid counties and informal urban settlements in 10 counties.
Machogu made the remarks, when the Representative and Country Director, World Food Programme (WFP) Kenya, Lauren Landis paid him a courtesy visit at his Jogoo House office.
The CS said the government was committed in providing school meals to the targeted learners to sustain their access to education in schools.
He thanked WFP, among other development partners and donors for the support they have accorded the government in ensuring children in the targeted areas access education.
On her part, Ms. Landis assured the government of WFP’s commitment to continue strengthening the long-standing partnership between UN-WFP-Kenya and the Ministry of Education.
She expressed satisfaction that the government’s meals programme that currently reaches approximately 2.5 million children and which transitioned to the Education Ministry’s full responsibility in 2018 was a great success and a model for others.
The Country Director assured Machogu that WFP-Kenya will continue to engage through the ongoing capacity strengthening, which had already led to the development of the Kenya School Meals Policy.
She said they were ready to work with the government to preserve the gains and continuity of Kenya’s school meals programme, until the local drought situation is stabilized.
By Catherine Muindi
