Kenya launches first pre-primary school feeding policy for counties
The policy, developed jointly by the Council of Governors and Food4Education, seeks to ensure that no child starts the school day hungry.
Kenya has rolled out its first model pre-primary school feeding policy, providing counties with a structured plan to end classroom hunger and improve early learning attendance.
Launched at the Devolution Conference, the policy sets out clear rules for financing, accountability, and community participation in school feeding programmes across all 47 counties.
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The policy, developed jointly by the Council of Governors (CoG) and Food4Education, seeks to ensure that no child starts the school day hungry. It encourages counties to source meals locally, linking school feeding programmes with farmers and cooperatives to strengthen rural economies.
“By integrating school feeding into governance systems, we are ensuring every child has the nutrition needed to learn and every community benefits,” the policy framework notes.
The initiative follows a high-level discussion on 'Nourishing Kenya’s Future', where county leaders, educators, and development partners explored ways to make school feeding programmes drivers of inclusive growth.
The rights-based, multi-sectoral framework aligns with national nutrition standards and prioritises local food production.
It also provides for sustainable financing through county development plans, dedicated school feeding funds under the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, and pre-primary capitation grants that include meals.
Counties are encouraged to collaborate with private sector players, parents, development partners, and communities. They must also recruit adequate personnel to support the programmes and adopt home-grown models that ensure year-round food availability.
Food processing and preservation techniques are highlighted as key to reducing post-harvest losses and maintaining a consistent meal supply.
Evidence from counties already running similar programmes shows strong results. In Mombasa, more than 25,000 learners receive daily meals, leading to a 21.7 per cent increase in attendance and an 80 per cent reduction in absenteeism.
The policy aims to replicate such outcomes nationwide, ensuring that every Kenyan child can learn without hunger holding them back.
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