The Murang’a County Government is mobilizing local farmers, cooperatives and food traders, to supply fresh produce for its planned free school feeding programme, which is expected to benefit thousands of learners when it rolls out in January 2027.

Governor Irungu Kang’ata said that his administration was engaging food aggregators and other agricultural stakeholders to establish reliable supply chains that would ensure uninterrupted delivery of nutritious meals to public primary schools and ECDE Centres.

Speaking after meeting the stakeholders, Kang’ata noted that the programme would cover 418 public primary schools and 147 standalone Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres across the County.

The County government, he said, would source fresh farm produce, including cabbages, carrots, onions, tomatoes, bananas and mangoes, from local farmers, creating a ready market for agricultural produce, while supporting rural household incomes.

The governor further explained that each meal would cost S15, noting that the engagement was intended to prepare suppliers to meet the programme’s requirements on quantities, quality, timely deliveries and food safety.

He said involving farmers, cooperatives and traders early, would help the County develop an organized procurement system and minimize supply disruptions, once the programme begins.

The initiative is also expected to strengthen the agricultural value chain, by linking small-scale farmers to an institutional market, reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring that public resources invested in the programme, circulate within the local economy.

Kang’ata said the feeding programme being implemented in partnership with the Food for Education organization, was aimed at improving school attendance, supporting concentration in class and easing the financial burden on parents, while ensuring learners have access to nutritious meals during school hours.

The County’s engagement with suppliers marks a key step towards putting in place the logistics and partnerships required for the January 2027 rollout.

The County’s Department of Education, have concluded Public Participation with parents and other stakeholders concerning the feeding programme, which is aimed to ensure the learners access affordable lunch.

A survey that was conducted by the Department of Education, revealed that some learners in public primary schools go without lunch, thus the need for establishment of the feeding programme.

Kang’ata assured that majority of parents have supported the programme, saying the pilot of the feeding programme, had already been done in selected schools within the County.

By Bernard Munyao