President William Ruto has expressed confidence in the school feeding program’s role in promoting learning and improving student retention rates.

Speaking at the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Global School Meals Coalition, he highlighted that the program currently supports 2.6 million students, a substantial rise from 240,000 in 2009.

The president noted that the feeding program aims to reach 10 million students by 2030.

He emphasized that the program’s benefits go beyond education, as it also generates job opportunities and strengthens the agricultural sector.

“The results have been remarkable: Kenya has achieved impressive rates of enrollment, retention, and academic performance since the program’s inception,” he stated.

Program success

Additionally, he pointed out that despite the program’s success, hunger remains a significant challenge in many regions of the country.

To address this issue, the president reiterated that his administration has tripled the budget allocation for the program.

“Kenya is also tackling climate challenges by integrating initiatives that enhance resilience, including strong support for school meals, provisions for local sourcing, and the promotion of sustainable practices such as clean cooking and the use of drought-resistant crops,” he added.

In order to expand the program, Kenya joined the Global School Meals Coalition in 2021 to take advantage of international partnerships.

The coalition consists of a network of over 130 partners, including 100 governments and three regional bodies, aimed at scaling up school meal programs worldwide.

Ruto urged other nations to participate in the initiative to ensure that every school child has access to nutritious meals by 2030.

“Together, we are rebuilding programs post-pandemic, reaching underserved areas, and enhancing efficiency. We welcome more agencies to join us and contribute to a platform with the broadest global impact,” he stated.

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