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Kiambu has set aside Ksh52million for the supply of porridge to nursery school pupils across the county.

Governor James Nyoro said that 528 nursery schools across the county will benefit from the program that will see over 36,000 pupils receive hot porridge from Monday to Friday.

“The feeding program will see over 36,000 of our children in nursery schools get the porridge for the entire year. We have set enough measures to ensure the program is done sustainably including employing cooks and teachers in all our ECDE centres,” Nyoro said

Speaking after launching pre-cooked porridge and new Ksh5 million ECDE classrooms and lavatories at Murera in Juja, Nyoro maintained that the program has been well funded for sustainability.

“The county should not run unsustainable programs since we receive money from both the national government and our own sourced revenue,” he said while rebuking the former county administration for failing to oversee the project,” he added.

At the same time, the county government has rolled out a massive ECD infrastructural facelift to improve the learning environment through the construction of classrooms, toilets and recruitment of additional teachers.

Governor Nyoro said the feeding programme aims at reducing the malnutrition rate and boosting enrolment in schools.

He pointed out that early childhood education forms an integral part in providing a solid foundation for children in their onset years of education.

Nyoro stated that the enriched porridge which will be produced by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) will motivate parents to take their children to school, revealing that every child will be served with a hot cup of porridge in the morning and after classes every day.

According to Loise Waithera, a teacher at Jacob Wells in Murera, the feeding program will address challenges of children not attending classes because of hunger alongside motivating them to study.

“This porridge will not only motivate children to attend classes but will also go a long way in improving their health,” Waithera said.