The Nandi County Government has launched a school feeding and free milk programme targeting thousands of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) learners across the county.
The programme, which targets 41,600 ECDE learners in 800 centres, is aimed at improving nutrition and supporting children’s health and learning during their formative years. Under the initiative, learners will receive fresh, locally produced milk twice every week, providing them with an additional source of essential nutrients.
The county government says the milk will be sourced directly from cooperative dairy farmers within Nandi, creating a reliable market for local milk producers while simultaneously improving access to nutritious food for children. The initiative is therefore expected to benefit both ECDE learners and the county’s dairy farming community by strengthening the link between local production and public institutions.
The county has also launched an ECDE School Uniform Programme, through which learners will receive school uniforms. The programme is expected to ease the financial burden on parents while creating business opportunities for the county’s textile industry.
The uniforms will be produced locally by the Nandi Textile Unit (NATEX), providing a ready market for locally manufactured products and supporting efforts to promote value addition and job creation within the county.
At the same time, the county government has announced measures to improve the welfare of ECDE teachers. The teachers have been placed on Permanent and Pensionable (P&P) terms, with their remuneration standardised according to their respective cadres and in line with guidelines issued by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
The county government says the measures are part of a broader investment in early childhood education, with the focus extending beyond classroom learning to include nutrition, welfare and the overall development of young learners.
The feeding, milk and uniform programmes are expected to provide additional support to families, particularly those facing challenges in meeting the basic needs of their children.
The county administration says investing in ECDE learners is critical in laying a strong foundation for the future, as healthy and well-supported children are better positioned to progress through the education system and contribute to the county’s economic development.
The initiatives are therefore being positioned as a long-term investment in building a skilled, healthy and prosperous Nandi.
APERIT FM, HII NI YETU
