Alarm as attendance drops in West Pokot schools due to hunger

Schools in parts of West Pokot County are recording alarming absenteeism among learners attributed to hunger.

The situation is becoming dire, with some schools now risking closure because hundreds of learners are keeping away because their families have no food.

North Pokot and Central Pokot sub-counties are the most affected, with headteachers calling for urgent intervention.

The situation was complicated after the World Food Programme (WFP) suspended food supplies to schools, meaning more than 50,000 pupils cannot get food under the regular school meal programme.

 In 2018,  the government of Kenya formally took over WFP the responsibility of providing lunches to 1.6 million school children in  all arid and semi-arid areas of the country.

WFP is, however, concentrating on nutrition issues in the country.

West Pokot County National Drought Management Coordinator Mike Kimithi said food in schools has not come since September, 2022.

Meal promise

Nation.Africa observed that at Chepsepin and Shonken primary schools in North Pokot only a few pupils had reported back to school this term.

Chepsepin headteacher Evans Kuyaa said most learners only turn up for school when there is a promise of a meal.

“As soon as the food rations dry up, the pupils vanish. I have only 24 of the school’s 274 pupils,” said Mr Kuyaa.

He urged the government to urgently dispatch relief food to schools.

He said children from some families walk more than 30km looking for water instead of going to school to learn.

“Last week, a child collapsed while at assembly because of hunger. The child collapsed because he had not eaten the whole week,” Mr Kuyaa said, adding that it had not rained for some time in the area.

“The prolonged drought led to crop failure. The maize withered and farmers did not harvest anything,” he said.

Shonken headteacher Geoffrey Plilan said enrolment has dropped by half, attributing this to lack of food.

“The number has drastically gone down from 110 to 51. Food only came early this year. There is no water in the school,” he said.

Government at fault

Ms Jane Cheptoo, a parent from the Ombolion area, said the government’s failure to supply food to schools has led to a drastic drop in the number of children attending classes.

“Children along the border go to school when there is food. Without food, they prefer staying at home,” Ms Cheptoo said.

Pokot North Sub-County Education Director Stephen Achula confirmed to Nation.Africa that schoolchildren were not eating enough and this had reduced attendance.

“Our officers are on the ground doing surveys before the headteachers give us the exact figures of pupils affected,” he said. 

“Food has not come and pupils need it for them to be in class. We are still waiting for food to come. They look for food first. Children come to school when food arrives and it becomes difficult for teachers to control them,” he said.

NDMA on the spot

Kacheliba MP Titus Lotee claimed the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) team in the region was not telling the truth about the drought situation in West Pokot.

“The officers should give a clear report on the real situation on the ground. Teachers are complaining and they want to close schools because the situation is just bad,” he said.

[email protected]