A new report highlights school meals as a critical driver for advancing education and development in Lesotho and Kenya. The School Health & Nutrition Facility Progress Report 2024, published by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), underscores the transformative role of nationally owned school feeding programmes in strengthening learning outcomes.
The report, produced by GPE’s School Health & Nutrition Technical Assistance Facility (TAF), focuses on building sustainable school meal systems. Kenya and Lesotho have been selected as pilot countries, with the World Food Programme (WFP) — serving as both GPE’s grant agent and Secretariat of the School Meals Coalition — leading implementation efforts.
In Lesotho, school feeding has been integrated into the 2016–2026 Education Sector Plan as a pivotal policy to boost enrolment and retention in basic education.
The recently adopted Lesotho Compact (2024–2026), developed through a government-led consultative process, further prioritises school health and nutrition within national social protection programmes.
Recognising the link between nutrition and learning, the government has committed to cross-sector collaboration involving education, health and private-sector stakeholders.
However, challenges persist, including sustainable financing gaps, uneven policy execution, and the need for locally sourced, high-quality meals.
Under President William Ruto’s administration, Kenya has placed school meals at the heart of its development agenda, aligning them with education and environmental objectives. The government aims to expand coverage to 10 million children by 2030, achieving universal access.
To support this goal, Kenya’s Operational Plan for School Meal Programme Scale-Up (2024–2030) — developed through multi-stakeholder consultations — provides a roadmap for environmentally sustainable expansion. Yet, the programme faces hurdles in governance, coordination, and long-term implementation strategies.
The GPE is backing Kenya’s efforts through its Technical Assistance Facility, while the newly established Coordination Cell for the School Meals Impact Accelerator (SMIA) initiative is designing partnership models to enhance programme sustainability. By leveraging expertise across sectors, the cell aims to address systemic challenges and amplify the impact of school meal programmes in both countries.