Agency
The Ministry of Education and Sports is ready to implement a long-awaited national school feeding programme aimed at addressing hunger among millions of Ugandan children and teachers.
The initiative seeks to curb the persistent issue of learners attending school on empty stomachs, which has impacted concentration and academic performance.
Janet Kataha Museveni, First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, confirmed that the programme will begin in the 2025/2026 financial year, most probably the first term of the 2026 academic year. For the start, the rollout will focus on primary schools.
In its 2021-2026 manifesto-themed Securing Your Future, the NRM government pledged to provide at least one hot midday meal to schoolchildren as a strategy to improve retention and ensure effective learning.
This promise follows years of public debate on how to handle school feeding, with previous policies placing the responsibility on parents to pack meals or contribute financially or in kind to feeding programs.
However, concerns have been raised about the practicality of parents packing food, as meals often spoil or are consumed early in the day, leaving children hungry.
Under a new arrangement, Dr Denis Mugimba, the Ministry of Education spokesperson, said that the government will introduce separate funding for all primary schools specifically for school feeding.
