Kilifi County has suspended relief food distribution in 17 schools after a viral video showed pupils being compelled to recite Hindu prayers before being allowed to receive meals.
The footage, which sparked outrage across the country, captured young learners struggling to chant religious verses associated with the donors before food was handed to them.
Confirming the suspension, Kilifi County Commissioner Josphat Kibiwott said an investigation had been launched into the incident.
“In August, we received reports that 16 primary schools and one secondary school had altered the way food was being provided after a meeting in Mombasa,” Kibiwott explained.
“We have stopped the foundation from supplying food in our schools until further notice. If you want to help, do so in the right way — not by forcing learners into practices that are clearly wrong, as seen in the video clips,” he added.
The commissioner noted that the feeding program had been running smoothly since 2019, but the controversial prayer practice was introduced only during the current third term.
Videos obtained by local media revealed disturbing details: in some schools, teachers wrote Hindu chants on the board and instructed pupils to recite them, while in others, head teachers were filmed leading the prayers as learners held food in their hands. Portraits linked to the Krishna Foundation were also seen hanging on classroom and staffroom walls.
The revelations have triggered a national debate, with parents and education stakeholders raising alarm over the potential violation of children’s rights.
Civil society group Elimu Bora Working Group strongly condemned the incident, stressing that children should never be coerced into compromising their beliefs.
“No child should be forced to abandon their faith in exchange for food or education,” the group said in a statement.
The suspension is expected to remain in place until investigations are concluded and new guidelines are established to protect learners’ rights in school feeding programs.
