By Antynet Ford
The management and operation of Dishi na County funds program by Nairobi City County government cannot be accounted for.
This was revealed when the health Committe Executive Committee Member of Health and Nutrition Suzanne Silantoi appeared before the Select committee on Health and Nutrition at the assembly to give a full report of the program.
It was established that donations and money appropriated by the county are paid direct to Food for education; a sole proprietor whole got the tender to make the meals and supply to the Nairobi Public school children.
Health committee chairman and Mountain View MCA Maurice Ochieng questioned the criteria that the county used to establish only 25000 kids were the ones unable to pay Sh 5 that the children pay before getting the meals dails.
Food for education Chief Executive Officer Wawira Njiru told the committee that the one Billion Euro donation by the French government to support the program was paid directly to their account raising an alarm on why the county opened an account for the Dishi na County program yet it was dormant.
“We received money from the French government for the 25,000 children that we had proposed meals for, which is 1 million Euros; the rest of the money is not for Nairobi. We have many donors everywhere who contribute daily to help implement the programme in other counties.” Wawira revealed.
The special purpose account for the school feeding program was opened at the cooperative bank with the Chief officer for Nutrition,wellness and school feeding being the signatories.
Further, it was established that the regulations were put in place for the policy framework and legal guideline to legitimize the Sh 5 that every kid has been paying is yet to be approved by the assembly even though they have given it to the government printer for printing.
This is against the set guidelines as the Relevant committees at the assembly need to go through it before the county legal team approves then taken for printing.
This casts doubt on the funds’ accountability, with the health committee calling for a proper and transparent management of the program.
In September, 2023 the French government gave Billion Euro to help the county built kitchens for the program and also pay for kids unable to pay the Sh 5 Bob that is charged per meal.
