SAMBURU, Kenya — The national government has delivered emergency food supplies to secondary schools in Samburu County as part of an urgent intervention to curb rising hunger and prevent school dropouts caused by the ongoing drought crisis.
Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture and Children Services, Hanna Wendot Cheptumo, flagged off the distribution on January 23, 2026, targeting day mixed secondary schools across the county’s four constituencies.
The move is intended to support students who have been increasingly affected by food insecurity and to ensure learners remain in school despite the worsening drought conditions.
“The Government is responding decisively to the ongoing drought by supporting children in school and enhancing school retention across Samburu County,” said Cheptumo during the distribution event.
📍SAMBURU COUNTY EMERGENCY EDUCATION SUPPORTThe Government is responding decisively to the ongoing drought by supporting children in school and enhancing school retention across Samburu County.I flagged off the distribution of relief food supplies to Day Mixed Secondary
Food Relief Details
The relief package includes:
- 714 bags of maize (50 kg each)
- 139 bags of beans (90 kg each)
- 28 bags of cowpeas (90 kg each)
- 45 cans of cooking oil (20 litres each)
Cheptumo said the intervention is part of the government’s broader commitment to safeguarding children’s right to education during emergencies.
Addressing Hunger-Driven School Dropouts
The supplies are aimed at addressing hunger-driven challenges that force students to miss classes or drop out entirely, particularly in arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL).
Prolonged dry spells and failed short rains have left many families without enough food, forcing children to skip school to help households survive.
Samburu is among the counties currently experiencing acute food shortages, with reports of increased absenteeism, low enrollment, and higher dropout rates among learners.
In northern Kenya, counties such as Samburu, Marsabit, and Turkana have seen children leave school to search for water or support families in livestock herding.
The government says food distribution in schools is expected to reduce these pressures and keep learners engaged in education despite ongoing hardships.
The initiative forms part of wider emergency education support programs targeting ASAL counties.
