Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has ordered a comprehensive audit of the county’s school feeding programme for day secondary school students following concerns over its effectiveness in reducing the financial burden on parents.
The decision comes after several parents complained that they are still being required to pay high school fees despite the county government’s intervention, with hundreds of students reportedly continuing to be sent home due to unpaid fees.
Governor Nassir has directed county officials to begin an extensive assessment of the programme by engaging parents, students, teachers and school administrators to establish whether it is being implemented as intended and whether it is achieving its objective of making secondary education more affordable.
Under the programme, students in day secondary schools receive meals funded by the Mombasa County Government, with the initiative expected to lower annual school fees from KSh 22,000 to KSh 12,000.
The audit, expected to begin this week, will also examine the challenges affecting the programme and identify possible areas for improvement.
Governor Nassir has called on parents and all education stakeholders to cooperate with county officials and provide honest feedback to ensure the programme meets the needs of learners and delivers the intended benefits to families across the county.