Nairobi — Ministry of Education has been put on the spot after senators sought answers on the usage of Sh873 million for the school feeding program.
Senators demanded answers after Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu told the education committee that the ministry has so far spent the monies in the school feeding program in the Arid and Semi-Arid areas.
Despite Machogu elaborating that the funds released by the exchequer has been used to give food aid to schools especially in drought-stricken areas, the members of the committee said no such program has been witnessed in schools in their counties.
The Vice Chair of the Committee Peris Tobiko expressed skepticism that the situation on the grounds shows that counties ravaged by drought have not been enlisted in the program.
"I am also very skeptical because your list does not show if the schools got the food, this is a list showing the requirements of the school, can you tell us where the tax payers' money has gone," she said.
Revelation made by the Education Boss shows that Sh201 million has been used to give cash transfers to various schools, Sh607 million to buy food while Sh54 million has been used to transport the food in the counties of Turkana, Samburu, Garrisa, Wajir, Marsabit, Isiolo, Tana River Mandera and West Pokot.
"The system we have is that it goes to the sub counties and its received by two people, the sub county education director and the deputy county Commissioner of course we have a system that notifies us if the food has been received then it is now distributed to various needy school,"Machogu told senators.
Nominated Senator Margaret Kamar questioned the rationale of used by the Ministry of Education to decide whether to give out cash transfers to schools or food relief.
Kamar mentioned that even as the Education Ministry maintained that the feeding program is ongoing, the program has been discontinued in several counties.
"All the Senators have said that this program is not in their counties, you are insisting it is happening, but we are not seeing it on the ground, where is it?" she posed.
In October 2018, the government formally took over from the UN World Food Programme the responsibility for providing lunches to 1.6 million school children in arid and semi-arid areas.
Currently, the Ministry of Education has been distributing food to ten counties adversely affected by drought.
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They include; Isiolo, Mandera, Samburu, Kajiado, Tharaka Nithi, Turkana, Wajir, Laikipia, Tana River and Marsabit. The counties have been earmarked for immediate intervention through various relief food programs.
This leaving out additional counties who are on the drought alarm status which include Embu, Garissa, Kitui, Makueni, Meru, Narok, Nyeri, Taita Taveta, Kwale and Kilifi.
"We have 26 counties which are not under ASALs but we are needy.We are looking into finding a solution into these because currently we are having funding constrains,"Machogu stated.
Secretary to the National council of nomadic education Harun Yusuf who is currently in charge of the school feeding programme said they had difficulties due to high prices of food stuffs forcing some of the suppliers to return the LPOs due to stringent price controls.
"For the ministry of education to feed the Sh1.6 million children for one year, we require Sh3.6 billion against Sh1.9 billion that we have been given the money we have been given, this year we intend to feed 3M children we require Sh6.9 billion so we have that serious shortfall." Said Yusuf
Education stakeholders have stated that school feeding programmes has helped retain learners and reduce absenteeism.
School enrolment has increased in the country since the introduction of feeding programme in all public primary schools in the region since 2018.
