Kitui County Assembly Speaker Kevin Kinengo has called on both the national and county governments to reintroduce the school feeding programme in the face of a deepening drought and food insecurity that continues to hit families across the region.
Speaking at Ithumbi Primary School in Kivou, Mwingi Central, where he attended the finals of the fourth edition of the Hon. Sammy Munyithya Cup, Kinengo said that the failure of the recent rains has left many farmers in distress and households struggling to feed children. He argued that reinstating school meals would help keep learners in class during lean times.
Kinengo’s appeal comes as food insecurity intensifies in Kitui County, where recent assessments show that household maize stocks are near dangerously low levels with prices rising sharply due to crop failures linked to poor rains. In some areas, maize prices have hit around Sh62 per kilo, while households hold only a fraction of the food needed to last through normal hunger seasons.
Figures from the county’s latest food security assessments also show that only a small portion of schools currently have operational feeding programmes, with many pupils in Kitui’s arid and semi-arid zones missing out on regular meals because of scarce resources.
A school feeding programme would not only provide daily nourishment but also help boost school attendance and retention, a strategy that has been shown in other counties such as Nakuru and Makueni, where local governments have implemented similar feeding efforts tied to broader education support.
Critics and education advocates have long argued that consistent feeding programmes are essential in drought-prone regions. In Garissa, for example, teachers’ unions have described such programmes as a lifeline for learners, warning that food insecurity continues to push some families to withdraw children from school.
The call from the Assembly Speaker aligns with ongoing national concerns over food and nutrition security, as parts of Kenya grapple with the effects of climate variability on agriculture and livelihoods. The state has also moved to provide emergency support and mobilise food aid in drought-hit counties through coordinated efforts with county governments.
As discussions continue, stakeholders from county leaders to community groups will be watching closely to see whether government action follows the renewed call for a structured and sustainable school feeding programme for learners in Kitui and similar regions.
By Amos Murumba
