The launch of the Dishi na County programme, a feeding initiative aimed at providing meals to pupils across the county, spearheaded by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, faced a temporary halt on Monday after a group of rowdy youth stormed the event.
During the event held at Baba Dogo Primary School, a group of young men stormed the venue and caused a commotion that stole the attention away from the main program.
A video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, depicted these youths energetically jumping up and down, diverting the attention of the guests from the main event. The disruption seemed to have been orchestrated as the group managed to breach the venue's security and quickly made their way inside.
"Tinga, Tinga, Tinga," the group chanted while trying to upstage the emcee.
Following this development, police officers responded promptly, swiftly moving to prevent the group from causing further chaos.
Among the accusations voiced by the group was the claim that the Governor had neglected crucial issues within the county.
The youth specifically pointed out the alleged failure of the Governor to prioritise the payment of salaries for staffers who had been working under the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
Despite the uproar caused by the unruly youth, the speaker leading the event remained undeterred by the noise. Their focus remained on the children who were enthusiastic about the prospect of benefiting from the free lunch program.
Nonetheless, Governor Sakaja remained firm in his commitment to the program, emphasising its potential to increase school attendance among pupils.
During his visit to the educational institution, Sakaja took the opportunity to personally inspect the kitchen facilities, ensuring they meet the necessary standards.
With an estimated annual budget of approximately Ksh5 billion from the national and county governments, the program aims to supply meals to pupils throughout the county.
To facilitate its implementation, the initiative will be introduced in stages. In the initial phase, the focus will be on reaching a significant number of school-going children, with a target of 81,208 pupils set to benefit from the program's first stage.
Dishi na County has faced resistance from civil rights groups that argued the county government was misappropriating funds and creating loopholes to loot public resources.
However, the High Court on July 27 allowed the program to proceed. Pupils will pay Ksh5 per day for meals.
