President William Ruto has pledged to launch a nationwide school meals programme across all 47 counties starting in the first term of the 2027 school calendar.
The proposed rollout targets learners across lower primary, upper primary, and junior secondary schools to enhance social safety nets and cushion vulnerable households.
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua delivered the President’s statement on Tuesday during the Fourth Kenya Social Protection Conference at the Kenya School of Government in Kabete.
“Fragmented approaches to school feeding have also constrained our capacity to deliver impact and scale and sustainable sustainability required by national aspirations,” the speech stated. “Therefore, I commit my government to the progressive establishment of a national schools needs programme.”
Implementation Framework and Scaling Goals
While the announcement did not clarify whether every individual institution within the 47 counties will participate initially, the president directed the Ministry of Education to partner with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the National Treasury, and relevant stakeholders.
The joint task force must develop policy, financing, governance, and operational frameworks prior to the early 2027 launch.
The timeline follows recent remarks by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale in New York, where he highlighted Kenya’s broader target of expanding school feeding coverage from 2.6 million learners to 10 million by 2030.
| Parameter | Current Status | Future Target |
| Learner Reach | 2.6 million children | 10 million children (by 2030) |
| Primary Geographic Focus | Arid & Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), food-insecure pockets | All 47 Counties |
| Estimated Annual Budget | N/A | ~Sh40 billion (Sh20/child/day for 200 days) |
The expanded scheme builds on a homegrown model that sources produce from local smallholders, circulating public funds within domestic agricultural markets.
Capitalising the Social Protection Fund
Beyond school nutrition, President Ruto outlined plans to capitalize a dedicated Social Protection Fund aimed at cushioning citizens against climate shocks, disability, and economic distress. The government plans to expand innovative coverage under this initiative to 2.5 million households.
Addressing operational changes under the Inua Jamii cash transfer program, Social Protection Principal Secretary Joseph Motari confirmed that monthly disbursements now reach Sh3.5 billion. Active beneficiaries have grown from 1.2 million to 1.7 million, with transitions to mobile money platforms like M-Pesa streamlining distribution.
CS Mutua addressed historical payment backlogs, emphasizing that executive compensation remains tied to safety net disbursements.
“The salary of the President of Kenya, the government officials, and the cabinet members is only remitted to the accounts after Inua Jamii recipients have received their monies,” Mutua said. “So they receive it first; the president of this country is paid last.”