Edome, Simon Ekusi1; Kimotho Michael2; Rose Atoni3 1, 2, 3 The Catholic University of Eastern Africa
School feeding programs are important in promoting learners’ enrolment, attendance and retention, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions such as Turkana Central Sub-County, Kenya. Despite the implementation of school feeding programs in public comprehensive schools, learners’ retention remains a challenge, raising concerns about the management and documentation of food provision. This study investigated the relationship between food record keeping and learners’ retention in public comprehensive schools in Turkana Central SubCounty, Kenya. The study was guided by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory and adopted a concurrent mixed-methods research design. Systematic random sampling and simple random sampling techniques were used to select participants. The target population comprised 24 heads of institutions, 24 deputy heads of institutions and 24 school cooks in public comprehensive schools in Turkana Central Sub-County. Data were collected using questionnaires, interview guides and document analysis schedules. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The hypothesis was tested using simple linear regression. The results indicated a strong positive relationship between food record keeping and learners’ retention, with a regression coefficient of R = .867. The finding suggests that effective food record keeping is associated with improved learners’ retention in public comprehensive schools. The study therefore underscores the importance of strengthening systematic food documentation and monitoring mechanisms as part of effective school feeding program management.
