First Lady Rachel Ruto rallies global partners behind Kenya’s school meals drive

First Lady Rachel Ruto has called for stronger global partnerships to help Kenya expand school meals to 10 million learners by 2030, saying a nutritious meal can strengthen education, improve farmers’ incomes, advance climate action and invest in the country’s future.

Speaking during a meeting with the World Food Programme (WFP) and The Rockefeller Foundation in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Mrs Ruto said Kenya had expanded school meals coverage from 1.8 million learners in 2023 to about 2.6 million.

“Feeding a child is not an act of charity; it is an investment in that child’s potential and in our country’s future,” she said.

The First Lady said Kenya’s school meals programme was the product of a long national journey, from the Maziwa ya Nyayo initiative to the country’s current nationally owned school meals programme.