Food on the table: With schools closed, parents are feeling the dent in the pocket

Many say that the month of April has not been kind to them, with children back in the house, and always looking for something to eat.

Some of the town families who spoke to Wananchi Reporting said they are under intense pressure to find enough money to keep food on the table and ensure their children can eat healthy and nutritious diet.

“My children returned home from boarding school and have been feeding like little birds in the nest. It’s like some food bonanza,” says Juliana Kamau, a mother of three.

Juliana says that her monthly budget has shot up threefold this April alone, and it’s only getting worse.

“Initially, I only had my husband, the maid and myself to worry about, but now it feels like I am feeding a political rally,” jokes Juliana who works out of town. She says it’s like running two households.

According to Joseph Oloo, life literally changes whenever schools close.

“On normal days, when schools are closed, my wife and I shop sparingly like the typical middle-aged people trying not to die; we buy basic foods just to stay alive and healthy,” says Oloo.

“The story changes when our four children return home from boarding school. Our shopping bag suddenly becomes a mini-supermarket. You will find all manner of junks and it is expensive,” he says.

Dina Kwamboka has turned to the posho-mill.

“I cannot afford the sifted maize because it is too light and hardly remains on the plate after a meal. I also do a lot of traditional foods like githeri, sweet potatoes, matoke and porridge,” she says – adding that her daughter who just recently joined Grade 10 came home having lost weight due to the rigours of boarding school – and has been camping at the kitchen, eating anything and everything.

Other parents have conveniently sent their children in their twenty-somethings to the village; to spend time with grandparents and relatives – where the economy is a little kind to the pocket.

Many say that in the villages – food can be found on the farms – and there is always a river for children to take a bath. 

“In the village one can even borrow a piece of soap, salt or matchstick. That cannot happen in the city,” says Vincent Obilo who works in Nairobi – but recently took his children to the village.

“Life in the city can be challenging if you are unstable financially. I have two teenage boys and daughter, and all are still in school. This means that I need a three-bedroom house to be able to comfortably house them all.

"This is why many parents are sending their children to village when schools close,” he says. 

According to the Ministry of Education 2026 calendar, schools in Kenya closed for the first-term holiday on April 2, 2026, and are set to reopen on April 27, 2026.