Fresh audit findings have reignited concerns over Nairobi County’s flagship Dishi na County school feeding initiative, with the Auditor General highlighting questionable expenditures, unsupported payments, missing procurement records and governance weaknesses that mirror issues raised in previous reviews.
The latest report builds on concerns flagged in an earlier audit, which found that the county continued paying the full KSh25 subsidy per meal despite parents contributing KSh5, effectively allowing the programme operator to receive KSh30 for every meal served. Auditors had also raised concerns over weak accountability mechanisms, inadequate oversight of donor funding and irregularities in the construction of central kitchens.
The recurrence of many of the same issues suggests that governance and administrative shortcomings identified during the programme’s early stages have remained unresolved even as the initiative has grown into one of Nairobi County’s largest social welfare projects.
Launched in 2022 through an executive order, Dishi na County was intended to improve nutrition levels and boost school attendance among pupils in public primary schools and early childhood development centres. However, auditors found no evidence of a formal needs assessment, a costed implementation framework, sustainability measures or performance indicators to guide the programme’s expansion.
Although the county entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the Ministry of Education, the audit was unable to verify whether obligations relating to performance monitoring, cost-sharing, staff deployment and accountability for donor contributions had been fulfilled.
According to Nairobi City Hall, the programme currently provides meals to more than 316,000 learners every day and has served over 50 million meals since inception.
Procurement and Accountability Concerns
The audit identified several procurement irregularities, including missing tender documents, inconsistencies in procurement timelines, contracts executed without full approval and advance payments that were not backed by phased implementation plans. Auditors also questioned the continued reliance on a single service provider without a competitive retendering process, raising concerns about sustainability and value for money.
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Payments amounting to KSh118.4 million were made to non-hub kitchens without documentation showing their official designation, the number of beneficiaries served or the costs incurred. An additional KSh118.6 million lacked supporting records altogether.
Auditors further flagged a KSh9.3 million payment to the Dagoretti South Central Kitchen despite the existence of a similar Constituency Development Fund-supported feeding programme in the area, with no evidence that the two initiatives had been coordinated.
Questions Over Digital Systems
The report also raised concerns about the programme’s digital payment infrastructure. Auditors found that the “Tap to Eat” system, which processes transactions involving schoolchildren, was implemented without documented procurement procedures, contractual agreements, independent system audits or clear safeguards for data protection.
Similarly, the parental co-payment model lacked adequate controls for collection, reconciliation and accounting of funds. Auditors also noted the absence of measures to support vulnerable learners whose families may be unable to make the required contributions.
Although the programme exhibits characteristics of a public-private partnership, auditors found no formal framework outlining risk allocation, asset ownership, performance benchmarks, dispute resolution mechanisms or exit provisions.
Concerns Over Kitchen Infrastructure
The county reported establishing 17 central kitchens under the programme. However, auditors found no completion certificates, handover documentation, commissioning reports or public health inspection records for the facilities.
In one instance, records identified Thawabu Primary School as the successful site for the Embakasi Central kitchen, while audit documents listed Kayole 1 Primary School, creating inconsistencies over project implementation.
The audit process itself was hindered by missing bid documents, cumulative payment schedules and agreements with development partners, preventing independent verification of significant aspects of the programme.
For an initiative designed to provide reliable meals to schoolchildren, the latest findings suggest that concerns over accountability, governance and financial controls remain unresolved. The report comes only months after the administration of Governor Johnson Sakaja approved a School Feeding Policy aimed at institutionalising daily school meals, safeguarding funding and expanding the programme beyond its current network of 17 central kitchens.
Despite the audit concerns, City Hall maintains that Dishi na County continues to play a critical role in supporting learners across the capital, serving more than 316,000 children daily and delivering over 50 million meals since its launch.
