Ruto Reacts To Attempt At Stopping Sakaja's Ksh1.2 Billion Program [VIDEO]

President William Ruto on Tuesday, August 1 criticised a petitioner's attempt to have the High Court in Milimani suspend Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s school feeding program worth Ksh1.2 billion.

Speaking at State House while receiving the Report by the Presidential Working Party on Educational Reforms, the Head of State was perplexed to understand why someone would be against the county government's plan to have hungry children from poor families who cannot afford meals to get one at school.

He complained that the move by the lobby group to have the High Court block the planned ‘Dishi na County’ feeding program in Nairobi primary schools which is expected to cost taxpayers Ksh1.2 billion was done inhumanely.

"So that you know that in our midst we also don't have people who are not very good, some fellow went to court to stop us feeding hungry children.

"The fellow went to court to stop the school-feeding program that gives opportunity for children from poor families who cannot afford a meal to find a meal in school and somebody has the temerity and the moral fibre to go to court to stop it," he bashed.

Ruto however commended the High Court for reversing its previous suspension of the school-feeding program, adding that the Judiciary set a good example of how it can deal with people who do not have the interests of Kenyans at heart.

"Luckily for us and unluckily for them, they found some humane people in court who told them that you cannot stop hungry children from having a meal. That is the kind of society we want to build where we can deal firmly and decisively with heartless people," he lauded.

High Court Judge Mugure Thande on Thursday, July 27 allowed Governor Sakaja to continue with the feeding program in the county, noting in the ruling that kitchens across the county have been constructed and the program should go on for the benefit of pupils.

Justice Thande ruled that the court's decision was in the best interest of the children as outlined in the Constitution but set a date for the hearing in August 2023.

Governor Sakaja welcomed the ruling, affirming that school-going children in Nairobi deserve better food, while he questioned why anyone would seek to stop a program that aims to feed children from poor backgrounds and relieve the parent the burden of feeding the child.

"I thank the court for not allowing itself to be misused. I am happy that the court has refused to stop this program, " the governor remarked.

The initial orders had followed a petition filed by Tunza Mtoto Coalition Executive Director Janet Muthoni Ouko.

The program dubbed Dishi na County will see students in Nairobi pay Ksh5, a day for a meal, and has received backing from President Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.

According to the governor, the program will provide a daily meal to over 200,000 primary school children in Nairobi.

"Dishi Na County will improve school attendance and nutrition among children in Nairobi. The programme will also reduce stunting and wasting among children in Nairobi.

"Stunting is a condition in which children are too short for their age while wasting is a condition in which children are too thin for their height. Both conditions are associated with poor nutrition," the county government explained.

The program is funded by the county and the national government to prepare meals in school kitchens using locally-sourced ingredients.

A Kitchen utilising modern cooking technology in use in Mombasa (Left) and soon to be unveiled Africa's largest kitchen in Nairobi. /FOOD4EDUCATION.JOHNSON SAKAJA