The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has expressed concern over failure to allocate funds for school feeding programmes in the 2024/2025 budget, warning that this decision could lead to high dropout rates among learners.
Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu appealed to President William Ruto to intervene and restore the funding, which in the current financial year stands at Sh4.9 billion, emphasizing its importance for children from disadvantaged families and those in 26 banditry-prone counties.
Mr Oyuu, who criticised the move as counterproductive, said the budget withdrawal contradicts the President's commitment to sustaining the programme in schools.
“The school feeding programme is critical to retaining learners in schools. Technocrats from the Treasury and the Ministry of Education should not disrupt it, let alone withdraw the funding,” Mr Oyuu said.
The 2024/2025 budget proposal by the Budget and Appropriations Committee does not include the school feeding programme, as shown in the State Department of Basic Education's allocation proposal.
Recognising the critical role of schools in children’s lives, both in education and nutrition, the government and development partners initiated the School Meal Programme in 1980, aimed at providing mid-day meals to children in public primary schools especially those in arid, semi-arid areas and urban slums that are prone to drought and food insecurity.
Mr Oyuu who was accompanied by among others National Executive Committee members – Mr Alfred Rop, Mr Francis Bundotich, Mr Josephat Serem, Mr Richard Lentayaa, Mr Sammy Bor, Ms Alice Bor and Ms Jecintah Kiptoo urged Parliament not to adopt the proposed budget without reinstating the programme's funding.
First National Vice chairman Malel Langat stressed that removing the feeding programme in banditry-prone areas, where it had boosted enrolment and retention rates, would force children to drop out of school to help do menial jobs as they help their families survive, potentially leading to increased crime.
“Withdrawing school feeding programme at a time the country is emerging from floods crisis that has killed almost 300 people, caused displacement of families, destruction of property and infrastructural facilities in learning institutions is ill-informed and should be reconsidered,” Mr Langat said.
“We should look at expanding and entrenching school feeding programmes. Withdrawing funding for this noble program unnecessarily creates a crisis in affected learning institutions,” Mr Langat added.
Mr Oyuu also called on the government to enhance security around schools in banditry-affected areas, including Turkana, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Laikipia, and Samburu.
“We need assurance from the ministries of Interior and Education on the security of learners and teachers. We have lost too many people due to escalating crime, schools have been closed and there is no assurance that proper measures are in place to end the menace,” the official said.
Separately, Nyandarua Senator John Methu and Ndaragua MP George Gachagua have voiced their concerns over the removal of the school feeding programme as seen in the national budget proposal by the Treasury.
The leaders highlighted the critical need for reinstating the programme during the distribution of a Sh60 million bursary fund in Ndaragua Constituency.
Mr Gachagua emphasized the importance of increasing the education budget to support children from needy families. He noted that without the feeding program, the financial burden on parents would increase significantly, potentially leading to higher dropout rates.
“I urge MPs to ensure the school feeding programme is reinstated in the budget. I will advocate for equitable resource distribution, ensuring all children in Kenya receive equal opportunities,” Mr Gachagua added.
“We must invest in education by increasing the budget every financial year. Cutting the education budget for primary, secondary or tertiary institutions is unacceptable. We must fund our schools adequately,” said Senator Methu.
He called on both the Senate and the National Assembly to ensure that the education budget is protected and increased, emphasizing the essential role of education in national development.
“We are in the budget-making process, and it’s crucial that our parliamentarians continue to prioritise investment in education,” Mr Methu said.
A study by the African Population and Health Research Centre on the experiences of schools in implementing school meal programmes acknowledged the important role that the provision of meals plays.
It said the school meals enhanced enrolment, attendance and concentration in class by the learners, highlighting that some of the students lack food at home and rely on the school meal as their only meal for the day.
However, challenges persist in implementing these programmes effectively.
“Financial constraints, including insufficient government funding and delays in fee payments from parents, often hinder schools’ ability to provide balanced meals,” the lobby said in its release on March 20.
As a result, most of the schools meals have little diversity, they mainly include cereals (maize/rice) and legumes/pulse (beans/green grams) and are often deficient in fruits, vegetables and animal protein that are important sources of nutrients required for optimal growth and development of children and adolescents,” the lobby said.
The 2023 study recommended increased government funding for school feeding programmes to enrich meal diversity and nutritional quality, expansion of school feeding initiatives to encompass low-cost private schools and implementation of school gardens and resource-efficient farming practices.
