Dishi na county successes and what you need to know about Tap2Eat
The first meals were served on August 28, 2023.
4mon agoSHARON MWENDERealtime
President William Ruto has promised to buy a chapati-making machine to boost the Dishi na County school feeding programme.
Speaking during his tour in
Mathare and Ruaraka constituencies on Tuesday, Ruto directed Governor Johnson
Sakaja to source the machine.
"Nimekubali nitamnunulia
machine ya kutengeneza chapo sasa wewe governor tafuta mahali ya kununua
machine (I have accepted the request to buy a chapatti-making machine,
therefore, I ask the governor to source for supplier)," he said.
Sakaja had asked students from
St Teresa Girls Secondary School, Mathare, what they would like to add to the
menu, to which they said chapati.
Noting that the programme feeds 300,000 students in the county, Sakaja said they will need the
president's support in order to make one million chapatis.
“I am feeding 300,000
learners. Will I be able to cook one million chapatis? I will ask the president
to help get a machine that wil be used to make chapatis,” he said.
During the visit, Ruto and Sakaja unveiled a new
mega-dormitory at the school. It is designed to accommodate over 1,200 students.
Sakaja noted that the
construction of the dormitory arose from the increasing demand for quality boarding
facilities at the school.
On Monday, Ruto said the
government would keep expanding school feeding programmes across Kenya,
especially in informal settlements and marginalised areas.
This, he said, will boost
enrollment and enhance the performance of learners.
The president officially opened
the Zawadi Comprehensive School Dishi Na County kitchen.
In 2024, Sakaja announced the expansion of the Dishi na County
programme, which was serving 30 million meals to 310,000 students in 230
primary schools in the county.
The governor noted that by expanding meal access, the county was
ensuring that more learners could stay in school and focus on their studies
without the constant struggle of food insecurity.
"One out of every four learners has been missing school due
to hunger. Some students even save part of their meals to take home for their
siblings and parents,” he said.
Sakaja has often emphasized that the program is a key pillar
of his campaign pledge to address urban poverty.
