Joho provides free lunch for KCPE candidates in Mombasa
At least 10,000 candidates sitting this year’s Standard Eight national exams in Mombasa have benefited from governor Hassan Joho’s food donation.
The Mombasa governor has been donating packed lunch to all KCPE candidates in all public schools in the county for three consecutive years.
Ninety-seven public schools in the county and Shimo La Tewa Borstal institution are being supplied with packed lunch comprising of pilau, fruits and a bottle of water for the three-days exam period.
Kisauni has the highest number of candidates in public schools with 2,035 and Changamwe with the least of about 1,217.
Mr Joho’s tradition of supplying food to candidates especially from slums has gained popularity among pupils and their parents.
FOOD DONATION
Mr Joho has been offering milk to all public schools pupils from kindergarten to class four.
In 2014, he extended the food programme to all the primary school candidates in the county.
But last year, Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa banned politicians from providing food to KCPE exam candidates in the region, worsening his strained relations with Governor Joho.
The decision affected some 16,176 candidates in Mombasa.
Mr Marwa claimed that the food donated by politicians “would interfere with examination and corrupt the minds of the candidates”.
Some schools obeyed Mr Marwa’s directive and turned down the food but others defied his order.
LUNCH PROGRAMS
In the past the food had been packaged in a container bearing the portrait of Governor Joho with the inscription “Hassan Joho wishes you the best in your annual exams, baba ni kulea … 001”.
But this year’s food was not labeled.
“The food is culturally accepted. This is an intergovernmental activity to assist candidates with food. Each candidate also received a success card from the governor,” said acting director of education Mwangi Gichui.
First time MP Ali Mbogo of Kisauni is among politicians who have also started the free lunch programs.
“I will visit all the 14 public primary schools in Kisauni constituency to disburse the lunch allocations to all the schools to cater for lunch program for our KCPE candidates,” said Mr Mboga on his Facebook page.