Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson has announced the issuance of 43,978 bursary cheques to support learners across the city, with 2,640 beneficiaries in five wards transitioned to Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to enhance efficiency, accountability, and speed in disbursement.
Delivering the Annual State of the County Address at the Nairobi City County Assembly, the Governor reaffirmed that education and child welfare remain central pillars of his administration’s social agenda.
“A city that educates its children secures its future; a city that neglects them mortgages it. When you pass a budget, see not just the numbers but the people. These are real stories of hope restored, of parents breathing easier, and of children who can now dream beyond their circumstances. This is not charity it is our duty to the people of Nairobi,” Sakaja said.
He noted that the bursary programme is structured to ensure no deserving learner is left behind due to financial hardship, while the gradual adoption of EFT signals the county’s shift toward digital public finance systems.
A major highlight of the address was the continued expansion of the Dishi na County school feeding programme, now regarded as one of the county’s flagship social interventions. Sakaja described the initiative as a deliberate statement about the kind of city Nairobi seeks to build one where no child goes hungry in pursuit of education. Currently, more than 323,000 learners in over 230 ECD centres and public primary schools receive a hot meal daily, with tens of millions of meals already served through central kitchens in partnership with private sector collaborators.
The programme has created jobs, strengthened local agricultural supply chains, improved attendance and classroom performance, and eased the financial burden on families. Recently anchored in county policy and earmarked for expansion into informal settlements with additional kitchens, the initiative reinforces the administration’s commitment that hunger will never be a barrier to learning.
Beyond bursaries and school meals, the Governor also outlined broader investments in education infrastructure, including classroom construction, capitation grants for pre-primary learners, and the distribution of furniture to public schools measures aimed at creating a more supportive learning environment while cushioning vulnerable households from rising economic pressures.
