NAIROBI, Kenya AUg 27 – Nairobi’s Dishi na County school feeding programme has added chapati to its menu following the installation of a new machine at Toi Primary Kitchen capable of producing up to 2,000 chapatis per hour.
Governor Johnson Saskaja said the machine fulfils another commitment by the county, with a rollout plan in place to ensure more than 324,000 learners across Nairobi receive chapati on designated days.
“We don’t promise to be heard; we promise to deliver. We have been able to secure the machine and it is up and running,” Sakaja said.
The Dishi na County programme has served more than 85 million hot meals since its launch three years ago and is expected to surpass 100 million meals this term.
Sakaja said the programme had continued to expand despite scepticism, political opposition and court challenges, with the subsidised Sh5 meals helping ease the burden on families and keep children in school.
“Today, we are feeding over 324,000 learners across all 17 sub-counties in 230 public schools, and we shall not stop,” he said.
Nairobi County Executive Committee Member for Health and Nutrition Suzanne Silantoi said the introduction of chapati was part of ongoing efforts to expand the programme and improve meal variety.
“Beyond that number are hundreds of thousands of children who can count on a hot meal every school day. Adding chapati gives them something familiar and exciting to look forward to,” Silantoi said.
The county is also preparing to expand Dishi na County to public day secondary schools and develop a framework to reach learners in informal settlements.
The programme currently provides subsidised meals to learners in public primary schools across Nairobi, with the county saying the initiative is aimed at improving school attendance, nutrition and learning outcomes.
