In almost all the Kenyan secondary schools, the school organizes a common lunch among all the students that parents pay a fee for, while in primary schools the students can have a common meal or more commonly they carry a packed lunch with them when they come to the school. This is the same across our schools with high schools requiring parents to pay for a meal provided by the school and primary schools have their students carry a packed lunch to school or they can dash home for lunch if they live near the school.
Sinendet Primary Kitchen
Most meals in Kenya are maize/corn-based meals with Githeri and Ugali meals being commonly served in Kenyan schools.
Githeri is a meal of boiled maize with beans then fried in a little oil and onions for flavour. It’s is common in schools because it is easy to cook for many people at once. Ugali is a maize/corn flour meal served commonly with vegetables or bean stew depending on the day rotations.
Bright Hope Secondary Kitchen
In a few of our primary schools, the top grade (Grade 8) can have a commonly prepared meal while younger students carry lunch or go home for lunch. This is because the schools want to standardize the meals and create minimal commotions while they are busy preparing to seat for the end of primary school exams.
In Sinendet Primary School, the parents of grade 8 students decided to contribute in kind the grains needed to feed their kids as they learn for the important exams. They also contribute a small amount of money to buy a few missing commodities and pay for a cook among themselves.
-Sam, Sr. Ground Rep