The 2026 candidates from comprehensive schools in Nyatike Sub County, Migori, will receive school meals thanks to a food security initiative organised by the local leadership.

12,084 grade six and nine candidates in primary and Junior Secondary schools from 150 examination centres in the Sub County will benefit from the programme that is aimed at cushioning parents from the hard economic times by providing meals for their children.

Speaking during the distribution exercise to the School Heads at Wath Ong’er grounds in Nyatike Sub County, Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Macalder Kanyarwanda Flex Okwanyo, said that the initiative will also enable the candidates to fully concentrate on their Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) exams.

The food programme which will commence at the office of the Macalder Kanyarwanda MCA will help to boost the morale of the 2026 candidates to perform well in their forthcoming examinations that starts on Monday 26 October ending on Friday 30, October.

Okwanyo disclosed that Nyatike Sub County is a semi-arid area and a hardship region, and by providing food security to schools, the majority of students from poor backgrounds will have something to eat during their final examinations.

“Education is key to unlocking the potential of this young generation, and by ensuring we provide an enabling environment, we will not only be helping these children to perform better but also putting a smile on the faces of the communities they come from,” said Okwanyo.

Meanwhile, Alice Ogathi, the school head of Nyangere Comprehensive School in Nyatike South Sub County, said that the initiative will help students to fully concentrate on their examinations instead of worrying about food.

Ogathi said that the majority of students in her school come from poor backgrounds where parents struggle to put food on the table.

She applauded the efforts by the local leadership for coming up with the food programme to help students excel in their examinations.

“The food programme will help our children to excel and join good senior schools across the country and become good leaders in the future,” she said.

Saint Gabriel’s Comprehensive School head Monicah Otieno, said that food distribution exercise will help students to have a balanced diet and better nutrition that will assist them to fully concentrate and be alert during the examination period.

Ms. Otieno welcomed the initiative, saying that every student will have something to bite during the examination period regardless of their home background.

“The food programme will provide every student with a meal regardless of where they come from during this examination period,” noted Ms. Otieno.

The comprehensive schools received several bags of rice, sugar, cooking oil among other cooking items that will aid to cushion parents from contributing money to feed their young ones during the examination period.

Local education stakeholders have praised the initiative that aims to help poor students access quality food during their examination period.

Peterson Omollo, a parent from Onger Primary School, praised the feeding programme, adding that the little he had saved as payment for food for his grade six and nine children will be used to increase his shop stock.

“What we have seen here today is pure servant leadership that aims to cushion parents and guardians from these hard economic times of providing food for their children during the examination period,” he noted.

The food distribution initiative was also done by Uriri Member of Parliament (MP) Mark Nyatike, who targeted close to 865 public examination centres across the 12 sub-counties of Migori.

A total of 74,939 grade six and nine students from Migori County will join the rest of the other candidates on Monday, 26 October in the country as they sit for their one-week Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA).

By Beryl Akinyi and Makokha Khaoya