Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament and Kilifi North MP, Owen Baya, has faulted the suspension of a school feeding programme in Ganze, Kilifi County. The initiative, spearheaded by the Krishna Foundation, had been supporting over 17 schools before it was halted after a viral video showed learners reciting Hindu prayers before meals.
Speaking on Monday during a radio interview in Kilifi, Baya criticized the Ministry of Education for what he termed as a rushed and ill-considered decision. According to him, the suspension directly affects thousands of pupils who rely on the feeding programme, especially in an area ravaged by famine since 2019.
“We acted in haste,” Baya said, adding that the videos circulating online were taken out of context. He claimed the clips were staged to serve a hidden agenda, which has now cost vulnerable learners access to vital food aid.
In the viral footage, pupils and teachers appeared to be engaging in Hindu chants before meals were served. Some head teachers were even captured directing the prayers as part of a daily routine. The incident stirred national debate, with critics accusing the donors of using food distribution to advance religious practices.
However, Baya dismissed the allegations, insisting that the donors were only offering much-needed help without imposing their faith. “If you look at the video, the teacher said the learners have been directed to do so. He explained ‘the donors have their prayer, a bible, and their God,’” the MP argued.
Kilifi County Commissioner Josephat Kibiwott confirmed that authorities confiscated several Hindu religious materials from the affected schools and investigations are ongoing.
Baya maintained that regardless of the ongoing probe, suspending the programme was detrimental to learners already struggling with hunger. He urged the Ministry of Education and local administrators to reconsider the decision and prioritize the well-being of children over what he termed as “politicized narratives.”
The suspension has sparked fresh conversations about donor-led school feeding initiatives in marginalized regions and the balance between cultural sensitivity and the urgent need to fight hunger.
