Principal Secretary (PS) for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga over the weekend flagged off food aid for more than 59,000 Grade Six and Grade Nine candidates in Siaya County ahead of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), which are scheduled to begin on Monday 26th October 2026.

The initiative, which targets learners sitting the national assessments, seeks to address challenges faced by candidates who travel long distances to examination centres and may struggle to leave school for lunch and return in time for their examinations.

Speaking to more than 700 heads of learning institutions at the Siaya County Commissioner’s offices, Dr Oluga said the food distribution is intended to ease the burden on parents and school administrators while ensuring learners remain comfortable and focused throughout the examination period.

“This courtesy is meant to help those students who come from far and may find it difficult to transition for lunch and then come back to school again for their examinations,” said Dr Oluga.

He added that the government is providing bags of rice and beans, alongside cooking oil, to support the candidates during the assessment period.

“That is why today we are providing bags of rice and beans together with cooking oil for the Grade Six and Nine candidates who are going to be assessed as from Monday next week,” he said.

The programme is expected to benefit approximately 59,000 learners across Siaya County, with school heads tasked with ensuring the supplies reach the intended beneficiaries.

Dr Oluga urged heads of institutions to work closely with National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs), including county commissioners, deputy county commissioners and chiefs, to ensure the smooth distribution of the food.

“We want you to work closely with the County Commissioner, the Deputy County Commissioners and even the chiefs to help us ensure that our learners have a swift examination period,” he said.

The Principal Secretary noted that the initiative is part of the National Government’s efforts to prioritise education and create a supportive environment for learners undertaking national assessments.

Beyond examination preparedness, Dr Oluga called on school administrators and teachers to strengthen efforts to curb teenage pregnancies and protect the health, safety and welfare of learners.

He urged education stakeholders to remain vigilant and work with relevant authorities to safeguard children’s rights, warning that teenage pregnancies continue to pose a challenge to the well-being and future prospects of young people.

“You, as heads of educational institutions here in this county, must be very vigilant in protecting the health and welfare of these children because we cannot have children bearing children,” he said.

Dr Oluga emphasised that providing education should go hand in hand with protecting learners from circumstances that could disrupt their schooling and compromise their future.

He further challenged teachers to instill discipline among learners, describing it as a critical foundation for responsible citizenship and societal development.

“Discipline is what makes a society successful. Therefore, it is a great component that we need to work on aggressively because it is a foundation of development,” Oluga urged.

According to the PS, discipline developed in schools should extend beyond the classroom and positively influence communities, contributing to a more responsible and productive society.

The meeting brought together more than 700 heads of learning institutions in Siaya County, representatives of the Kenya Comprehensive Schools Association Governing Council, officials from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), as well as other stakeholders from the Ministry of Education.

By Ochieng Clinton and Damaris Awuor