Devolution is doing wonders in all parts of Kenya but more so on regions which have been traditionally neglected by successive national governments. For Mombasa County, city governor Ali Hassan Joho (ODM) has relaunched the school milk programme years after Nyayo cows were milked dry by the corrupt Moi government.
As Joho shows what devolution can do, std. 1 kids are still waiting for President Uhuru to provide his signature campaign promise – laptops.
It has been two years now and signs of achieving the laptops promise to the youngest of the young is marred by corruption and tenderpreneurs whose modus operandi is to make a kill on every noble initiative that benefits society as a whole. You can’t blame them, some are said to have heavily funded the moneybags that was the Jubilee Alliance campaign machine.
Will Milk roll-out happen in the jubilee regime by the jubilee government? It doesn’t appear so, hence, governor have taken upon themselves to revive some of the oldest projects and the newest innovations in their own counties.
As CORD leader Raila Odinga aptly put it, the next 50 years will be county years, when devolved units will make unimaginable progress happen in some of the most forgotten areas in Kenya, be it Turkana at the north or Migori at the south.
For Joho, the school milk programme will go a long way in providing school going children with life’s nutrients so that a new generation grows up knowing that it doesn’t matter where you are born, all dreams in every region of the country is valid.
Here is Gov. Joho’s brief remarks after launching the programme
Today I was privileged to launch the Mombasa County School Milk Program. The goal of the Program is to help us achieve one of our strategic objective of improving transition rates by 35% over the next three years, by first ensuring that more children are enrolling into school and stay in school. The link between nutrition and school performance is well documented. Studies conducted in Kenya and around the world indicate that children who receive good nutrition are more likely to perform better in school because they are more alert and focused. This program seeks to improve the well-being of children by improving the nutritional, health and educational status through providing them with safe and quality milk. In partnership with the private sector and Mombasa County School Milk Trust Fund, the Department of Education & Children has already initiated a process of setting up a sustainable school milk program whose main objective will be to improve the nutritional status of school children, in order to enhance their academic performance and encourage enrolments into school. I would like to thank Senator Hassan Omar, MCAs, Milk Processors, School Heads Associations and Parents Associations. Special thanks to Chef Ali L’artiste for gracing the occasion and Teacher Wanjiku for charming the kids.
“SCHOOL MILK IS COOL FOR SCHOOLS.â€