Construction of 67 school kitchens is underway across Murang’a County ahead of the January 2027 rollout of an expanded school feeding programme.
The planned expanded feeding programme is targeting more than 200,000 learners in public primary schools, Junior Schools (JSS) and Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres.
The new kitchens being constructed in selected schools across the county, are expected to strengthen meal preparation and distribution as the county government moves to extend subsidized school lunches to learners across the county.
Among the institutions benefiting from the ongoing construction are Wathiani and Sabasaba primary schools in Kamahuha Ward, as well as Rurii, Nyakihai and Gakurwe primary schools in Gaturi Ward.
The expansion builds on the county’s existing ECDE Uji Programme, which provides free fortified porridge to approximately 42,000 children in about 700 centres through a partnership between the county government and Food4Education organization.
Governor Irungu Kang’ata, speaking during an earlier event stated that the school lunch initiative was developed to ease the burden on parents while ensuring learners receive nutritious meals during school hours.
The programme was initially piloted in selected primary schools, with parents contributing Sh20 per meal while the implementing partners subsidized the cost.
The county administration subsequently announced plans to reduce the parental contribution to Sh15 under the expanded programme.
Already, officers from the county’s department of education have held public participation in all wards as date for rolling out the expanded feeding programme nears.
According to the governor, the initiative will also cater for vulnerable learners whose families cannot afford the subsidized meals, with the county government undertaking to cover their costs.
Beyond improving learner attendance, concentration and retention, the programme is expected to create a reliable market for local agricultural produce, including milk and mangoes, while generating employment opportunities for people involved in food preparation and distribution.
The county government has allocated Sh200 million towards the programme in the current financial year, as preparations continue for its countywide implementation.
The official rollout is scheduled for January 2027, marking a major expansion of Murang’a’s school feeding initiative aimed at ensuring that hunger does not become a barrier to learning.
By Bernard Munyao
