Maurice Ochieng, the Mountain View Member of County Assembly (MCA) has urged Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to ensure the food that distributed in schools within the capital city under Dishi na County (eat with the county) initiative comply with the food safety measures.
Speaking to Nairobi News, Mr Ochineg noted that governor Johnson Sakaja took the right initiative but has to ensure everything is in place for it to succeed.
“This is a good initiative. However, as a chair of the Health County Assembly Public Health Committee, it is not just about giving the children food but rather giving them nutritious food,” Mr Ochieng told Nairobi News.
He noted that initially the Dishi na County program was under health control but was later handed over to the Inclusivity, Public Participation and Customer Service CEC, Susan Silantoi.
“We now urge the executive to ensure that the food is nutritious and comply with food safety,” he added.
Sakaja recently shed tears as he spoke on his Dishi na County initiative, to feed Nairobi learners, narrating how important the programme was to him.
“The reason why I broke down, I was just remembering the resistance to this program. I have been going to schools and the kids would run to me and you could see how they are reacting when they see food,” Sakaja said, adding that almost half of the students in most of the schools in Nairobi, barely carry lunch meals.
It has now been disclosed that parents will be required to pay Sh5 per day to support the provision of nourishing meals for their children.
“Parents will only pay Sh5 and in return, children will get 6500 grams of nutritious food and a fruit every day,” the Governor announced when he presided over the groundbreaking ceremony at Njiru Primary School in Embakasi East Constituency.
“I asked children in Bidii Primary School, Buruburu, and also in Muthangari where we are building kitchens, how many of you have carried lunch today? It was only half of them,” Sakaja said.
Under the current budget, the program has been allocated Sh1. 2 billion for Public Primary Schools and ECD centres feeding and Sh500 Million in development for the construction of kitchens and serving sheds.
