First Lady Rachael Ruto has called on Parliamentarians to allocate sufficient funds to support school meal programmes, including the School Milk Programme.
“Education, which thrives on good nutrition, deserves special attention. I urge Parliament to allocate adequate resources for it,” she said.
The First Lady made these remarks at Bondo Kosiemo Primary School in Migori County, where she launched the National School Milk Programme.
She explained that the initiative, spearheaded by the Kenya Dairy Board, is currently a pilot programme in select counties. The board hopes to expand it nationwide.
First Lady noted that the programme is a significant step in supporting the “Feed One, End Hunger” campaign. This initiative aims to improve school nutrition by introducing fruits, kitchen gardening, and climate change resilience lessons into school programs.
She cautioned officials responsible for distributing the milk in the county’s 11 sub-counties against misusing the supplies.
“The milk is not for sale. I know some may attempt to repackage and sell it in backstreets, but be warned — you will face the full force of the law,” she warned.
Addressing a large crowd at Isebania town near the Kenya-Tanzania border, Mrs Ruto expressed her desire to see Kenyan children enjoying a packet of milk daily to support their physical and intellectual growth.
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She encouraged residents to support the program, emphasizing its potential to improve children’s health, reduce malnutrition, and boost school enrollment in line with the Education for All policy outlined in Vision 2030.
Recalling the 1979 “Maziwa ya Nyayo” School Milk Programme, Mrs Ruto urged adults who benefited from it to become ambassadors for the current initiative to help combat hunger.
Migori County Governor Dr. Ochillo Ayacko and his wife, Agnes, along with other government officials, welcomed the First Lady.
MPs Tom Ndege (Nyatike Constituency), Mathias Robi (Kuria West), and Fatuma Mohammed (Migori Constituency) were also in attendance.
Labour Protection PS Jonathan Mueke and Livestock Development PS Joseph Motari were accompanying the First Lady.
Migori West MP Mathias Robi praised former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for agreeing to work with President William Ruto in the broad-based government, adding that the collaboration would bring significant development benefits.
“We are already witnessing the fruits of this political unity. People don’t eat political parties — they need leaders with vision who can deliver tangible results and put food on their tables,” he said.
The two Principal Secretaries urged schools to embrace the School Milk Programme, which integrates health, nutrition, and food production to enhance food security in the country.
By Enock Okong’o
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