Nairobi's Dishi Na County programme in a spot over Sh145m unexplained spending

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja's Dishi Na County programme has come under scrutiny after the Auditor-General raised concerns over the handling of funds, pointing to unaccounted-for donations and questionable payments to the implementing partner.

In her 2023-2024 audit report tabled before the Nairobi County Assembly, Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu noted that her office could not trace how the county government spent Sh145,725,000 donated by the French Embassy in Kenya to support the programme.

The donation was announced in September 2023 by French Minister of State for Development, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou when she joined Governor Sakaja at Olympic Primary School in Kibra to serve meals to children.

However, the report states that the funds were deposited directly into the Food for Education account, a non-profit organisation that has partnered with the county to run the initiative.

"The audit could not ascertain the accountability for these funds. In addition, there were no established measures by the county executive regarding the management of the donations received, as there were no guidelines in place for handling such donations," the report reads.

The Auditor-General further revealed that there is no formal agreement between the county and Food for Education.

"The audit could not establish how the company was engaged to provide the services," the report states.

The county contracted the organisation to provide meals at Sh25 per plate, but despite contributions from parents, the county still paid the full amount instead of Sh20, raising concerns about the contract terms.

"The county paid an amount of Sh25 for each plate served, resulting in the implementor earning an amount of Sh30 per plate instead of the contracted amount of Sh25," the report says.

This is not the first time the programme has come under scrutiny.

Last year, the County Health Committee questioned the management of donations when Health County Executive Committee Member Susan Silantoi and Food for Education CEO Wawira Njiru appeared before them but failed to clarify how the funds were being handled.

Silantoi promised that a policy framework outlining the initiative's implementation would be tabled but that is yet to happen.

The county allocated Sh1.7 billion to the programme in the FY 2023-2024 and recently added Sh400 million in the 2024-2024 supplementary budget.

However, concerns remain over whether the initiative aligns with the county's core responsibilities.

Janet Ouko of the Tunza Mtoto Coalition, which has been advocating for transparency, questioned the county's priorities.

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"The funds should be spent on upgrading the existing early childhood development centres since that is the mandate of the county government. If you go to most of them, they are overcrowded and in a poor state. The problem with leaders is that they want to do what is popular instead of doing the right thing," she said.

Launched in June 2023, the Dishi Na County Programme started with 10 central kitchens serving meals from August 28, 2023.

By January 2024, an additional 10 kitchens were operational, feeding 184,000 children daily.

Currently, the programme serves 310,000 pupils, with numbers expected to increase in the third term.

Governor Sakaja has defended the initiative, saying it has helped keep children in school.

"This initiative has reduced dropout rates by ensuring that children receive at least one nutritious meal per day," he said then.

Seven more kitchens are under construction in various sub-counties, including Dandora, Donholm, Mutuini, Uhuru Gardens, Ndururuno, Umoja 1, and Zawadi Primary Schools.