Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has disclosed that the Dishi Na County school feeding programme now drives a daily institutional food market of approximately 37 tonnes for farmers supplying public schools in the capital. This revelation was made during an agriculture summit held at Jamhuri Park on October 8, 2026. The programme's impact on the agricultural sector and smallholder farmers was highlighted as a significant example of how public procurement can be designed to create reliable markets.
The Dishi Na County school feeding programme purchases around 740 tonnes of food monthly, covering cereals, pulses, vegetables, and fruits. Rice alone accounts for 13.5 tonnes cooked every school day. The programme's daily demand breaks down into 5.6 tonnes of Mwitemania beans, while cabbages and kales account for 4.8 tonnes. Other commodities include yellow beans, cowpeas, and ndengu (green grams), each contributing about 2.8 tonnes, with the legumes rotated across different days.
The programme's supply network extends well beyond Nairobi, with produce sourced from 27 counties across Kenya. Of these, 24 counties supply vegetables and fruits, nine supply cereals and pulses, and six counties contribute produce in both categories. This broad supply network underscores the programme's role in linking Nairobi's schools to agricultural value chains nationwide.
Rice and legumes together account for 27.5 tonnes, or 74% of the programme's total daily food volume. This highlights the market opportunity for cereal and pulse farmers. On the fresh produce side, Dishi Na County kitchens use around 8 tonnes of vegetables daily, made up of 4.8 tonnes of cabbages and kales, 1.2 tonnes of tomatoes, 1.1 tonnes of carrots, and 0.9 tonnes of onions.
In addition to vegetables, the programme requires approximately 25,000 pieces of fruit each school day, primarily bananas and oranges. This demand for fruits and vegetables provides a stable outlet for farmers, allowing them to align their production, aggregation, and delivery schedules around the predictable demand.
Governor Sakaja argued that the model demonstrates how public procurement can be deliberately designed to create reliable markets for smallholder farmers. Once farmers and cooperatives understand the volumes required by programmes of this scale, they can plan accordingly, ensuring a consistent supply of produce.
The Dishi Na County programme effectively positions Nairobi's public school system as a major institutional buyer, giving producers a stable outlet for their goods rather than relying solely on open markets. This approach has the potential to support agricultural value chains across Kenya, providing a reliable market for farmers and contributing to the country's food security.
Key points
- The Dishi Na County school feeding programme drives a daily institutional food market of approximately 37 tonnes for farmers supplying public schools in Nairobi.
- The programme purchases around 740 tonnes of food monthly, with rice alone accounting for 13.5 tonnes cooked every school day.
- The programme's supply network extends to 27 counties across Kenya, linking Nairobi's schools to agricultural value chains nationwide.
