Uganda’s Constitutional Court has issued a five day ultimatum to the government, demanding an explanation for its failure to provide meals to children in public schools particularly those enrolled in the Universal Primary and Secondary Education (UPE/USE) programs.
The order comes in response to a petition filed in 2023 by the Centre for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT), which accused the state of neglecting its constitutional obligation to protect the welfare of vulnerable schoolchildren. CEFROHT argues that two thirds of children in Uganda’s public schools spend the day without food, resulting in health problems, school dropouts, and an entrenched cycle of poverty.
Deputy Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, heading a panel of judges, ruled that the government must file its response or risk the court proceeding solely on the petitioners’ submissions.
“This case is for the 66% of children who go to school hungry every day,” said CEFROHT Executive Director David Kabanda. “We are not asking the government to feed every child, but to step in for the poorest, the orphans, and those who have no one to pack them a lunch.”
Currently, school feeding responsibilities fall solely on parents a policy that critics argue ignores the realities of extreme poverty and child headed households. CEFROHT is calling for a targeted national feeding policy to close this gap and secure children’s right to education and health.
“This is not a fight against the government,” said CEFROHT’s Joan Kembabazi. “It’s a call for justice, dignity, and equal opportunity.”
The court’s decision marks a pivotal moment in a legal push to ensure that no child is forced to learn on an empty stomach.
