Ruto Stands By Sakaja After Breaking Into Tears In Front Of Him [VIDEO]

The Head of State had expressed confidence in the success of the school feeding program which will offer meals to many children who had been going without food.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Jun 20, 2023 - 13:35 Updated: Jun 20, 2023 - 13:36
0
Ruto Stands By Sakaja After Breaking Into Tears In Front Of Him [VIDEO]
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja shed tears in Roysambu, Nairobi on June 20, 2023. /YOUTUBE.PCS

President William Ruto on Tuesday, June 20 threw himself in the shoes of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja who broke down into tears prior to his address during the launch of the Dishi Na County programme at Central Kitchen in Roysambu Primary School.

The Head of State had expressed confidence in the success of the school feeding program which will offer meals to many children who had been going without food.

He added that the National Government will fund 50 per cent of the money needed for the programme while calling upon all governors across the country to emulate Sakaja's efforts.

Nairobi Governor, Johnson Sakaja interacts with students during a CU at Moi Girls School that was attended by 6,300 students from 76 schools on June 11, 2023. /JOHNSON SAKAJA

"I feel you my friend Governor Arthur Sakaja, and I assure you that this programme will succeed. We are dedicated to ensuring that our children are treated with dignity. 

"I made a commitment in my manifesto that we will deliver the school feeding programme. As Governor Sakaja has done, I implore all governors to have feeding programmes in our schools," he appealed.

Sakaja had broken into tears while recalling his childhood memories of how Nairobi children struggled to attend school, wondering why successive county governments were yet to intervene to rescue hungry children.

"It is sad that children are forced to stay at home because they are too weak to walk to school because they missed a meal at home, especially, in the evening.

"We as county government will ensure that our children will be well fed and are kept in school so that they can study and learn without facing any hunger problems," he assured.

The Governor, who promised to dedicate resources to Dishi Na County Programme, stopped his speech midway as he broke down into tears, prompting intervention from county delegates who comforted him, among them Mlango Kubwa Member of County Assembly (MCA) Susan Makungu.

After wiping his tears, he expressed that he was emotional because of the challenges Nairobi children faced on a daily basis before apologising to the Head of State.

"We have no choice but to help our children achieve their dreams in life. I'm sure that this programme, Dishi Na County, will go a long way in helping them get to where they should be," Sakaja observed.

According to the governor, the Dishi Na County programme 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.

In the 2022/23 budget read out by Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS) Njuguna Ndung'u, the programme was allocated Ksh5 billion.

Watch the video below:

Tags: