DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2021.v09i09.002

Pages: 384-390

The Kenya Vision 2030 overall goal is to provide a global competitive quality education, reduce illiteracy, improve transition rates from primary to secondary schools, and raise the quality and relevance of education. This dream can only be realized if learners from marginalized communities especially in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands accessed and got retained in schools. The current study investigated the influence of School Feeding Programme on learners’ retention rates in public primary schools in Loima Sub-County, Turkana, Kenya. The study employed ex post facto research design and gathered both qualitative and quantitative data. The target population was 1012 drawn from 70 Public Primary Schools. As such, 70 head teachers, 280 teachers, 600 learners, 2 SCSFPOs and 54 BOM members were targeted. The sample size was 240 participants comprising 20 schools, 20 head teachers, 80 teachers, 120 learners, 2 SCSFPOs and 18 BOM members. Stratified sampling technique was used to select schools, purposive sampling to select head teachers and Board of Management members, census sampling to select Sub-County School Feeding Programme Officers, and simple random sampling to pick learners and teachers. Data for the study was collected using questionnaires, interview guide, document analysis guide and Focus Group Discussion guide. Data collected was analysed using descriptive, such as means and standard deviations, and inferential statistics. The null hypothesis was tested using multiple regression analysis. Results indicated that availability of SFP promoted learners’ retention rates in schools. The study concluded that a regular SFP enhanced enrolment, increased class attendance. Public Boarding primary schools which served more than two meals in a day had higher learners' retention rates in comparison to public day schools which only served one meal per day. The study recommended that the government should promote day schools to the status of low-cost boarding schools and allocate F