Sh144m for school food project in Nairobi missing

Woes surrounding Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja appear to be far from over after it emerged that his administration cannot account for Sh 144 million from donors’ contributions towards the school feeding program dubbed Dishi Na County.

An oversight committee yesterday heard that the money in question was contributed by the French Government to help support the program launched by Governor Sakaja in October 2023.

County Executive Committee (CEC) for Health Susan Silantoi told the Nairobi County Assembly Health Committee chaired by Mountain View MCA Maurice Ochieng that the County is yet to put in place regulations for the Dishi na County funds.

She also said that there has not been any direct exchange of funds between the county and the donor.

“ We submitted regulations of the fund to the assembly in December but were told they have to go to the delegated committee first, so up to now they have not been approved,” Silantoi added.

The donor funds were paid to the Food for Education Foundation,a non profit organisation which is the implementing partner in charge of the Dishi na County program that also operates in other counties.

Under the Nairobi Program, the County contributes Sh25 for every child while parents have to contribute Sh5 for every child.Another Sh15 is contributed by the fund’s partners and well wishers.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Dishi na County program Wawira Nyambura told the committee that the Sh144million were received as a donation to 25,000 children who are unable to pay five shillings.

Nyambura said the organisation receives contributions on a daily basis from Kenyans and well wishers but could only disclose the amount donated by the French government and specifically for Nairobi County.

“ We have received money  for the 25,000 children that we had proposed meals for from the French Government which is one million Euros the rest of the money is not for Nairobi,” she said.

County programe

Nyambura added, “Our donors are everywhere,we have everyday Kenyans who are contributing,”

The contributions are made through a technology called Tao to Eat which the organisers says makes it easy to validate thousands of children within a short time.

The Dishi na County program in Nairobi produces 184,000 meals per day against an enrollment of 360,000 children which means more than half of the children have no access to the meals. Initially,the county targeted to produce 250,000 meals per day.

The Health CEC revealed that the county has so far used Sh623million on the feeding program.

The committee members insisted that the county must produce details of all donor funds and other well wishers contributions to the programme but the CEC said only the implementing partner can.

She said that currently,the County used the PFM Act 2012 to set up the fund but the county can only have full control once the assembly approves proposed regulations.This casts doubt on the accountability of the funds with the committee chairman questioning why the county did not bring the said regulations before the health committee which is mandated to oversight the program.

The CEC only clarified how the 45 shillings per child is costed. “The 45 shillings includes the cost of ingredients, transport, logistics, payment of staff, running of kitchens so everything is encompassed,” she said

The Dishi na County CEO on the other hand  added that the meals provided are a balanced diet.

The program has been resisted by some parents who have questioned the standards of the means being cooked for their children.