Kenya is launching Africa's biggest school meals programme

A new school meals programme will be launched in Kenya this August.

Under the new scheme, 250,000 children living in the country's capital Nairobi will receive a hot meal every day.

The programme is said to be the largest of its kind in Africa.

It's a partnership between Nairobi County and Kenyan charity Food4Education, which already provides meals to 140,000 primary school children in the city.

The new programme will cover children from 225 primary schools and Early Childhood Development centres.

Ten new kitchens will help provide the daily lunches as part of the programme and will employ 3,500 people.

"We believe that no child should go to school on a hungry stomach," said Joan from the Food4Education team.

"We are excited to expand our scope and serve an additional 250,000 meals every day to Kenyan children that will ensure they are able to go to school and stay in school."

The programme also has the backing of the country's leader.

"We must eliminate the shame of hunger in our country," Kenya's president William Ruto said at the launch of the programme.

"We will be deliberate and focused in ensuring successful implementation of the school feeding programme. The greatest indignity is for our children to go to school and fast because of lack of food."

Schemes like this are important as children not getting enough food on a daily basis is something that affects many all over the world.

More than 150 million children across the globe are missing out on meals, as well as other essential health and nutrition services. That's according to the latest figures from the charity Action Against Hunger.

Lots of people aren't able to afford the food they need for their families, and other factors like extreme weather conditions and war can also have an impact on access to food supplies.

Kenya is listed as one of the countries on the United Nation's latest Hunger Hotspots report, which means that it has very concerning levels of hunger.

It's hoped this scheme can help make sure more children are well fed and can concentrate at school.