Kenya’s First Lady Calls For Increased Investment In School Feeding Programs
Mrs. Rachel Ruto urged leaders, organisations, and stakeholders to fund such programmes.
“Educating a hungry child is a challenging task; a well-fed child is more attentive, active, and likely to thrive in studies,” she said
Mrs Ruto addressed at Testai Primary School in Nakuru County as the National School Milk Programme’s pilot phase began.
“The best way to ensure children stay in school and learn is by providing them with nutritious, healthy meals,” the First Lady stressed.
The Government of Kenya has a 100% enrolment and retention policy for all school children to ensure that no child is left behind. To achieve this, we need to address the barriers to school attendance, including hunger. pic.twitter.com/fZJr2gLn2R
— Mama Rachel Ruto, EGH (@MamaRachelRuto) March 13, 2025
Eleven schools in five counties will benefit from the experimental project, with each child receiving two packets every week.
The First Lady has stated that she supports fruit gardens in schools and houses as a supplement to President William Ruto’s goal to grow 15 billion trees by the year 2032.
Mr. Ruto was joined by MPs Samuel Gachobe (Subukia), Liza Chelule (Nakuru), and Paul Chebor (Rongai), among other leaders.
“We are working on a policy framework with other sectors and players to ensure this programme is well anchored,” said Margaret Kibogy, Managing Director of the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB).
Agriculture PS Paul Rono stated that the Ministry was providing capacity building to schools in farming activities targeted at improving nutrition and food production.
Rono stated that the ministry was partnering with the First Lady Initiative and 4-K Clubs to develop the National Mama Kitchen Gardens in schools.
The Mama Kitchen Garden Initiative is a program designed to promote sustainable agriculture and food security by encouraging households, particularly women, to start and maintain tiny kitchen gardens.
PS Rono urged farmers to prepare for the planting season, stating that the government would provide affordable and high-quality seeds and fertilisers.
“It is a very good programme which should be replicated elsewhere after the pilot project,” he said.
Currently, the government and its partners feed only 2.5 million people, leaving a 7.5 million shortfall.
Chelule stated that the handshake government was critical to reconciling the country and urged all Kenyans to rally behind President Ruto.
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In another event, Mrs Ruto stated that the country’s rising alcoholism needed to be addressed.
First Lady Ruto stated that illicit beer merchants should be integrated into respectable businesses to help combat drunkenness in the country.
Mrs Ruto stated that the liquidation of such businesses provided few remedies if such dealers were not co-opted into alternate ways of earning a living.
She offered to provide training and capacity building, table banking, and other revenue-generating activities through her Joyful Women Organization.
Kenya’s First Lady Calls For Increased Investment In School Feeding Programs
