By Milliam Murigi
Leaders of Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET) schools in Nairobi are urging the Nairobi County Government to extend its flagship school feeding initiative to their institutions.
The appeal comes as many learners in these low-cost private schools remain excluded from subsidized meal programmes despite facing the same food insecurity challenges as pupils in public institutions.
School leaders say the exclusion has left parents struggling to afford daily meals, even as evidence shows that access to school feeding significantly improves attendance, concentration, and academic performance.
“We are urging the Nairobi County Government to extend the subsidized feeding model to APBET schools, because all children belong to the county. Equal access would ensure that every child benefits based on need, not the type of school they attend,” says Amos Kuremu, principal at At Lunga Lunga Baptist School in Makadara sub-county.
APBET Kenya represents low-cost private schools that provide basic education to disadvantaged children who cannot access public schools due to so many barriers. Many of these schools operate in informal settlements where hunger and food insecurity directly affect learning outcomes.
At present, the county’s “Dishi na County” programme primarily serves public schools. Since its launch in 2023, it has grown into one of Nairobi’s largest social interventions, feeding more than 316,000 learners daily in over 230 public primary schools and early childhood centres through 17 central kitchens.
However, a recent policy brief shows that the majority of Nairobi’s school-age children actually attend low-fee private institutions such as APBET schools. About 60 per cent of the city’s 500,000 children are enrolled in these schools, leaving roughly 300,000 learners outside publicly subsidized feeding programmes.
“Introducing a feeding programme with support from LVCT Health has already transformed learning conditions. Attendance has improved, academic performance has risen, and absenteeism has dropped significantly. However, parents are asking if we can reduce the cost,” says Kuremu.
According to him, though APBET schools are also offering school meals, parents are forced to dig deeper into their pockets because the meals are not subsidized. He notes that while the county’s Dishi na County programme offers meals at a highly affordable rate of five shillings per meal, APBET schools charge significantly more at Sh30 per meal, making it difficult for families especially those with multiple children to provide daily meals consistently.
According to Inviolata Njoroge from LVCT Health this gap risks deepening inequality, because children in informal schools often come from the same low-income households the feeding programme was designed to support. She says that extending subsidized meals to these learners would help address hunger, malnutrition and diet-related illnesses while improving attendance and concentration in class.
“Last year, we helped about four APBET schools in Viwandani and Mathare to start their school feeding programme. What we noticed is that visible weight gain was observed among the pupils, illness rates dropped and children appeared more energetic and attentive in class,” says Njoroge.
Kuremu also admits that the school feeding programme has made a noticeable difference. Before they started offering school meals, pupils were allowed to go home for lunch a practice that often meant many never returned for afternoon classes.
Now, with meals provided at school, attendance has improved, children stay through the full day and teachers can cover the entire timetable. It has not only kept students in class but also created a more focused learning environment.”
“We saw a big number missing lessons after lunch because they didn’t come back,” Kuremu said. “Now they stay, they learn, and teachers can cover the full timetable.”
Despite these gains, parents continue to raise concerns about affordability. Many say paying daily meal fees is difficult, particularly for households with multiple school-going children.
Jerantine Mutio, who has two children at Flama Educational Centre, acknowledges that the feeding programme has eased pressure at home, especially for mothers who previously had to prepare meals during the day.
“It really helps women because you get time to do other income-generating activities,” she said. “But the amount charged is still high, especially if you have more than one child.”
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said the administration intends to eventually include children from informal schools, but infrastructure and funding remain major hurdles.
