Nakuru — First Lady Rachel Ruto has pledged to establish kitchen gardens in all public schools as part of her efforts to support the school feeding program.
Speaking during the National World Children's Day celebration at Kaptembwa Primary School in Nakuru, she outlined her initiative, Championing the Voice of Children, which aims to grow short-term nutritious crops like vegetables and herbs in school gardens.
The initiative, in collaboration with state departments and partners, also plans to introduce fruit gardens in schools to boost children's fruit intake.
For schools with arable land, the First Lady said her team would work with the Ministry of Agriculture to enhance food production within the institutions.
"We are championing the sustainability component of school feeding through school-based food production programs targeting learning institutions," she said, adding that hunger and malnutrition are key barriers to children's learning and development.
Delivering President William Ruto's message, she reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring every child in Kenya has access to education, health, and the opportunity to thrive free from the burden of hunger.
"The World Bank's Africa Pulse Report in October 2024 revealed that seven in ten children in Sub-Saharan Africa miss out on pre-primary education due to hunger and malnutrition," she noted.
Rachel, a trained teacher, reflected on the challenges of educating hungry children. "Hunger is not just a pain in the stomach; it's a barrier to learning, a stolen opportunity, and a deferred dream. We cannot afford to let hunger rob our children of their potential," she emphasized.
The First Lady revealed the government's ambition to scale up the school feeding program, targeting 10 million daily meals by 2030. Currently, 2.4 million children benefit from the program, with plans to bridge the gap for the remaining 7.5 million.
"We aim to provide 2 million additional meals to close this gap," she added, urging more partnerships to achieve universal school feeding.
Government's Commitment to Child Welfare
Principal Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Joseph Motari echoed the need for a collective effort to nurture and empower children, aligning with this year's World Children's Day theme, Listen to the Voices of Our Future.
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Motari condemned the rising cases of violence against children and urged parents to be more responsible, present, and supportive in their children's lives. "While the government has the primary responsibility to protect children, parents and communities must also play their part," he said.
He outlined government initiatives to safeguard children, including scaling up child-inclusive social protection services, enhancing child-friendly justice systems, and improving mechanisms for online safety.
"Significant progress has been made through programs like Inua Jamii, which provides cash transfers to vulnerable families," he said. The number of children covered under Inua Jamii has nearly doubled from 259,000 in 2023 to 500,000 under the current administration.
Additionally, the Presidential Secondary School Bursary Fund provides vulnerable students with Ksh 30,000 annually to cover school fees, ensuring no child misses school due to financial constraints.
"President Ruto remains deeply committed to improving the welfare of children and addressing their critical needs," Motari concluded.
