Special Paper No. 05 of 2024 on The Cost of a Nutritious School Meal in Kenya

Abstract

School meals are integral for advancing education, nutrition, and social welfare goals, prompting nations such as Kenya to expand their school meal programmes. School meals should meet the micro- and macro-nutrient requirements for children. However, costing of these meals in Kenya does not consider the requirements for micro nutrients, and generally lack a systematic costing approach. Subsequently, there is dearth of information on costs in Kenya that affects planning and implementation of school feeding policies. This study used linear programming approach to obtain nutritious menus for school meals and their costs. The estimated average daily cost of a nutritious school meal ranged from Ksh 10.71 to Ksh 51.86, varying across age groups, with older children’s meals costing more due to greater nutritional needs. For Early Childhood Development (4-5 years) children, the average cost was Ksh 26.76, with a range of Ksh 10.71 to Ksh 51.86. For primary school children, the average cost was Ksh 35.68, with a range of Ksh 17.4 to Ksh 51.77. For secondary school children, the average cost was Ksh 38.93, with a range of Ksh 20.3 to Ksh 51.72. The study also established the possibility of meeting the requirements at the prevailing expenditure ceiling per child, particularly for pre-primary children’s meals. School feeding policies and guidelines should integrate milk, and green vegetables in school feeding menu guide in addition to maize, as they improve the nutritional quality of school meals at manageable costs. The supply of school meals should be integrated with locally available foods, putting into consideration seasonality and preservation methods. This includes encouraging cultivation of alternative and nutritious foods within the school environment, as it would further cut costs while improving the quality of meals. Under-utilized foods such as millet and sorghum have potential of replacing maize and should be considered for school feeding. Lastly, budget allocations for school meals should reflect distinct nutritional requirements for different age groups. This means having a multifaceted approach to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of school meal programmes in Kenya, in promoting both education, health and nutrition outcomes.