A parent posted photos online showing what appeared to be raw, poorly cooked chapatis served to learners under Nairobi's Dishi na County school feeding programme, prompting complaints from parents across the city.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino confirmed he was receiving reports of substandard meals from multiple schools and said the issue had reached him via Facebook messages.

Owino also noted that some children had complained of stomach upsets after eating the chapatis, as reported by the concerned parent.

In response, Owino pledged that, should he be elected governor, he would extend the school feeding programme to high schools and make the meals free for parents.

The Dishi na County programme, launched on 28 August 2023 by Governor Johnson Sakaja, currently serves over 324,000 learners in 230 public schools across all 17 sub‑counties.

Parents contribute KSh 5 per meal through the Tap2Eat digital system, which records each transaction via wristbands; children from families unable to pay still receive meals under the subsidy arrangement.

Chapatis were added to the menu to diversify meals, with schools receiving them on scheduled days rather than daily, following the installation of a high‑capacity chapati‑making machine at Toi Primary Kitchen in Kibra in August 2026.

Governor Sakaja said the new machine can produce up to 2,000 chapatis per hour, a piece of equipment promised by President William Ruto during a March 2025 visit and later procured by the governor.