Promise Kept as Sakaja Unveils Chapati Machine for Nairobi Schools

Nairobi pupils will now have chapati days at school after Governor Johnson Sakaja unveiled a new machine at Toi Primary Kitchen, that will produce thousands of the popular meal for learners under Dishi na County.

 The machine can make up to 2,000 chapatis every hour. County officials will use a school-by-school timetable to distribute them across participating public schools.

He said its arrival was part of the county’s efforts to improve what pupils receive under the feeding programme, which currently serves more than 324,000 learners.

“We don’t do politics with the lives of the people that we serve. We don’t promise to be heard; we promise to deliver. We have been able to secure the machine and it is up and running,” Sakaja said.

With such a large number of pupils to serve, Sakaja said schools would not receive chapati on the same day. A timetable has been put in place and each school will have its day to enjoy chapatis.

Dishi na County heads for 100 million meals

Chapati has been added at a notable point in the programme’s growth. Dishi na County has so far served more than 85 million meals since it began three years ago, and Nairobi expects to cross 100 million meals this term.

Reaching that figure is a marker of how far the programme has come since its introduction for the governor.

He said Dishi na County had faced doubts, political opposition and court cases but continued to expand. More than 324,000 pupils in 230 public schools spread across all 17 sub-counties are currently covered.

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When the programme was introduced, Sakaja said, hunger was a major reason some children stayed away from school.

“It is a dream come true. We have moved from a situation where one in every four pupils could miss school because of lack of food to now feeding more than 324,000 learners. Some children even carry food home,” he said.

Sakaja said plans were already being worked on to take the programme further, including introducing it in public day secondary schools and developing a way of reaching schools in informal settlements.

“The other frontier is secondary schools, and for informal schools, a plan is underway. We shall be able to deliver. All we need is patience, planning and execution,” he said.

Pupils’ welcome chapati addition

For pupils, one of the most noticeable changes will be what lands on their plates on designated days.

Suzanne Silantoi, Nairobi’s County Executive Committee Member for Health and Nutrition, said the new addition comes as the programme continues to grow.

“The introduction of the chapati machine comes at an exciting time for Dishi na County. We are approaching 100 million meals served, but beyond that number are hundreds of thousands of children who can count on a hot meal every school day,” she said.

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Silantoi said chapati would add variety to meals while giving learners something familiar to look forward to.

At Toi Primary Kitchen, manager Angela Muchai said pupils had already shown their excitement about the new menu item.

“The kids are so happy to have chapati included in their meals. You can really see the joy when they receive their food,” Muchai said.

Chapati will therefore become part of the rotating menu rather than an everyday meal, with schools receiving it according to the county’s distribution schedule.

As Dishi na County moves towards its 100 millionth meal, Nairobi is also looking beyond the milestone, with the county pushing to bring more learners into the programme while expanding the range of meals served in schools.

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Governor Sakaja Johnson. PHOTO/Courtesy.