First Lady Rachel Ruto during the launch of pilot National School Milk Programme at Testai Primary School in Rongai Constituency, Nakuru on March 13, 2025/PCS
First Lady Rachel Ruto has called for more funding in school feeding programmes to ensure retention of needy students in schools.
Mrs Ruto called for leaders, organisations and stakeholders to finance such programmes.
"Educating a hungry child is a challenging task; a well-fed child is more attentive, active, and likely to thrive in studies, she said
Mrs Ruto spoke during the rollout of the pilot phase of the National School Milk Programme at Testai Primary School in Nakuru County.
“The best way to ensure children stay in school and learn is by providing them with nutritious, healthy meals,” the First Lady stressed.
Eleven schools in five counties are set to benefit from the pilot project, with each child receiving a packet twice a week.
The First Lady said she was also supporting fruit gardens in schools and homes as part of supplementing President William Ruto's initiative of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
Mr Ruto was accompanied by MPs Samuel Gachobe (Subukia), Liza Chelule (Nakuru), and Paul Chebor (Rongai), among other leaders.
"We are working on a policy framework with other sectors and players to ensure this programme is well anchored, said Margaret Kibogy, Managing Director of the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB).
First Lady Rachel Ruto enjoys a packet of milk with student during the launch of pilot National School Milk Programme at Testai Primary School in Rongai Constituency, Nakuru, on March 13, 2025/PCS
Agriculture PS Paul Rono said the Ministry was offering capacity building to schools in farming activities aimed at boosting nutrition and food production.
Rono said the ministry was working in partnership with First Lady Initiative and 4-K Clubs in launching the National Mama Kitchen Gardens in schools.
The Mama Kitchen Garden Initiative is a programme aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and food security by empowering households, particularly women, to establish and maintain small kitchen gardens.
PS Rono urged farmers to prepare themselves for the planting season, adding that the government will supply affordable and quality seeds and fertilisers.
"It is a very good programme which should be replicated elsewhere after the pilot project," he said.
Currently, only 2.5 million are being fed by the government and other partners, leaving a gap of 7.5 million.
Chelule said the handshake government was key in uniting the country, urging all Kenyans to rally behind President Ruto. In another event, Mrs Ruto said there was a need to address the rising alcoholism in the country.
She said illicit brew dealers should be incorporated into legitimate business as a means of curbing alcoholism in the country, First Lady Ruto said.
Mrs Ruto said the closure of such businesses offered little solutions if such dealers are not co-opted into alternative means of making a living.
She promised to offer training and capacity building, table banking, and other income-generating activities through her Joyful Women Organization.
