NAIROBI, Kenya Sept 13 – Embakasi East MP Babu Owino says he will ensure public primary school pupils in Nairobi receive meals without their parents being required to pay if he becomes governor in 2027.
He said the school feeding programme would be reinstated and funded in a way that allows children to receive meals at school without additional financial pressure on their families.
Owino is seeking to position himself as a contender for the Nairobi governor’s seat in the 2027 General Election.
“Regarding this issue of the school feeding program: This school feeding program will remain; it will not be removed. However, our parents will not pay a single shilling. I will ensure that this program returns to schools specifically to primary schools and then our parents who are business owners will be the ones to supply food to those schools so meals can be cooked for our children,” Owino said.
Owino’s remarks were made during the Nairobi leg of the Linda Mwananchi mobilisation, which brought together leaders including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other political figures for a series of engagements across the city before the main rally at Jacaranda Grounds.
The proposal places parents who operate businesses at the centre of the proposed supply chain, with Owino suggesting that they could provide food commodities to schools while the meals are prepared for learners.
The school feeding programme has been used by successive governments as part of efforts to support learners in public schools, particularly by providing meals during school hours. The programme has also been linked to efforts to improve school attendance and keep children in class.
Owino did not indicate in the remarks how the proposed arrangement would be financed, how suppliers would be selected or how the programme would be administered across schools.
The MP’s comments come as the Linda Mwananchi movement continues its political mobilisation in different parts of the country ahead of the 2027 General Election.
During Sunday’s Nairobi tour, Owino was among the leaders addressing residents as the movement took its campaign to various parts of the capital before the gathering at Jacaranda Grounds.
The school feeding proposal is among the issues raised by Owino during the mobilisation, with the MP saying the programme should continue without placing a direct financial burden on parents.
