Millions of learners in public primary schools will have to wait longer for the much-anticipated government-funded school feeding programme after the Ministry of Education and Sports revealed that a national policy to guide its implementation is still being drafted.
The delay comes months after the government announced plans to introduce a nationwide school feeding programme in Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools, raising hopes among education stakeholders that the initiative would help address hunger and improve learning outcomes.
On December 5, 2024, while presenting the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Manifesto 2021-2026 progress report for the education sector, Education and Sports Minister Janet Museveni announced that government had approved plans to introduce school meals in all UPE schools, with implementation expected to begin in 2026. The programme is expected to benefit at least 9.1 million learners enrolled in 12,557 government primary schools, according to data from the 2025 Baseline Education Census by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).
The announcement marked a significant shift in government policy. For years, government maintained that feeding children was solely the responsibility of parents and guardians. However, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda, said implementation cannot proceed without a comprehensive policy framework approved by Cabinet. ‘You cannot start implementing something without a policy to guide it. When it came to implementation, it became necessary to first have the policy approved by Cabinet,’ Dr Turyagyenda said in an interview.
‘This is a government commitment that must clearly explain how the programme will be implemented, who will do what, and how responsibilities will be shared,’ she added. According to Dr Turyagyenda, consultations with stakeholders are ongoing and substantial progress has been made in drafting the policy. However, she acknowledged that the programme is unlikely to be rolled out in the 2026/27 financial year because the budget has already been approved. ‘Developing a policy requires extensive consultations and technical work. Once it is completed, it will be submitted to Cabinet for approval,’ she said.
The delay means that, for now, millions of learners in government schools will continue relying on parents and guardians for meals, with many children still attending classes on empty stomachs. The government’s pledge had been welcomed by schools, particularly those struggling to provide meals after restrictions were placed on parental contributions. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics National Service Delivery Survey 2021, only 49 percent of government primary schools provide lunch to learners, while 16 percent reported that pupils go without lunch altogether.
The situation is more pronounced in rural areas, where 20 percent of government primary schools reported that learners did not receive lunch, compared to eight percent in urban areas. Despite the delays, Dr Turyagyenda stressed that parents remain legally responsible for feeding their children until the policy is approved and implemented. ‘In the meantime, the law requires parents to feed their children, so every parent should make every effort to ensure that their children are eating,’ she said.
Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) Secretary General Filbert Baguma said hunger continues to undermine learning, attendance and academic performance. ‘We continue talking about school dropouts and poor performance, yet these issues are directly linked to feeding. You cannot expect much from a child who has not eaten,’ Mr Baguma said. Economist Kenneth Asiimwe of the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) said the government may be proceeding cautiously because of the financial implications of feeding millions of learners nationwide. ‘It is an expensive programme and not something government can rush into. Proper planning is necessary because poorly designed programmes often fail,’ Mr Asiimwe said.
However, he warned that repeated delays could erode public confidence. ‘When government makes commitments and implementation keeps being postponed, it creates a trust deficit between citizens and the state,’ he said.