Three years after its launch, Nairobi’s Dishi na County school feeding programme is now serving more than 324,000 learners every day, with Governor Johnson Sakaja vowing that the initiative will continue as part of efforts to keep children in school.
Sakaja spoke as Nairobi marked the third anniversary of the programme at Riruta HGM Primary School, celebrating an initiative that has so far delivered more than 85 million meals to learners across the city.
“Today is the 28th of August 2026, the day Dishi na County started. It is Dishi na County’s birthday. We look back and we are happy that on its third anniversary, we have done it,” Sakaja said.
Ge said the programme’s impact extends beyond nutrition, pointing to increased enrolment in public schools since he took office.
“When I got in, public schools had 190,000 learners. Now it is more than double,” he said.
Sakaja said Dishi na County had become an essential intervention for ensuring children attend and remain in school, insisting that the programme would not be stopped.
“Having looked at the success of Dishi na County, we can confirm today that this programme is inevitable. It will not stop. It is not only to feed the children but also keep them in school,” he said.
The programme is also closing in on another major milestone, with Sakaja confirming that the 100 millionth meal is expected to be served this term.
Dishi na County has already crossed the 85 million-meal mark, leaving it 15 million meals short of the landmark figure.
The county has also expanded the menu with the introduction of chapati following the installation of a chapati-making machine at the Toi Primary Kitchen.
The machine can produce up to 2,000 chapatis per hour, while a distribution timetable has been developed to ensure schools receive chapati on designated days.
Sakaja said the approaching 100 million-meal milestone was particularly significant given the challenges the programme faced in its early years, including scepticism, political opposition and court cases.
“It is a dream come true. We have moved from a situation where one in every four pupils could miss school because of lack of food to now feeding more than 324,000 learners. Some children even carry food home,” he said.
Through Dishi na County, learners receive a subsidised hot meal for Sh5, helping ease the financial burden on families while addressing hunger as a barrier to school attendance.
Sakaja said the programme had expanded to 230 public schools across all 17 sub-counties, adding that the county would continue investing in its expansion.
“It has not been easy to see the Dishi na County programme succeed through doubts, politics and court cases, among other challenges. Today, we are feeding over 324,000 learners across all 17 sub-counties in 230 public schools, and we shall not stop,” he said.
The county is also preparing to take the programme beyond primary schools, with plans to expand it to public day secondary schools. A framework is also being developed to extend support to learners in schools within informal settlements.
“The other frontier is secondary schools, and for informal schools, a plan is underway. We shall be able to deliver. All we need is patience, planning and execution,” Sakaja said.
Nairobi County Executive Committee Member for Health and Nutrition Suzanne Silantoi said the introduction of chapati was part of the county’s efforts to continuously improve the programme as it approaches the 100 million-meal milestone.
“The introduction of the chapati machine comes at an exciting time for Dishi na County. We are approaching 100 million meals served, but beyond that number are hundreds of thousands of children who can count on a hot meal every school day,” Silantoi said.
She said the addition of chapati would give learners greater variety while the county continues improving the programme.
As Dishi na County enters its fourth year, Sakaja said the focus would remain on sustaining the daily meals, improving their quality and expanding the programme to reach more learners across Nairobi.
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