School Feeding Programme Not Scrapped, Reallocated to Different Department — Budget Committee Chair
Ndindi Nyoro, the Chair of the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee, has downplayed assertions intimating that the school feeding programme has been scrapped due to its absence in the proposed budget for the 2024/25 fiscal year.
Nyoro’s remarks come amidst concerns raised by citizens and stakeholders regarding the future of the school feeding programme that has been operational in 26 marginalised counties.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s ‘The Explainer’ show on Tuesday, Nyoro insisted that while the programme’s allocation has not been explicitly outlined in the budget, it has not been abandoned by the State.
According to Nyoro, the programme’s budget of approximately Ksh.4 billion has been re-allocated to another State department which will now assume responsibility for spearheading the project previously overseen by the National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya (NACONEK).
He explained that education seems to have lost, but if one looks at the school feeding programme, they would realise that there is a re-allocation.
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Previously, the school feeding programme was under NACONEK, and the ministry is reallocating the same for the department to handle the roles. Therefore, he assured the people that this would continue.
Nyoro further elaborated on the broader restructuring underway within various ministries, highlighting a shift in responsibilities across multiple sectors, including Regional Development Authorities (RDAs).
He added that such re-allocations are not uncommon and are part of the State’s ongoing efforts to streamline operations.
The school feeding programme is there, he said, giving an example that many things in the budget around Regional Development Authorities are not allocated budgets because the roles are changing.
Nyoro mentioned that this is not the first time such changes are happening; it’s occurring across the ASAL ministry where if one checks the budget of Ewaso Nyiro North and South, Coast development, TARDA, and all agencies that deal with regional development, they have also been changed to different areas.
Reallocations Concerns
“It is a normal thing.” He assured that the school feeding programme is going nowhere..
However, IBP Kenya Country Manager Dr. Abraham Rugo argued that it is essential for the government to transparently communicate the reallocations to the public.
He emphasized the need for information on what is being re-allocated to what and the rationale behind it.
Without a clear rationale, he pointed out that the Regional Development Authorities have been performing devolved functions, playing a role between counties. Therefore, when reallocations occur, part of it is rationalising.
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Dr. Rugo urged people to think about the agriculture sector, which has a significant allocation.
He questioned whether the allocation removed from the sector, such as livestock, has been moved to increase the allocations to county governments because they are responsible for that function. That, he stated, is information they do not have.
School Feeding Programme Not Scrapped, Reallocated to Different Department — Budget Committee Chair
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