The Senate has resolved to make an in-depth inquiry into issues hindering the implementation of the Early Childhood Development Programme, which has resulted into a perpetual state on malnutrition and stunting among children. The resolution was made the resolution on Monday, February 14, as the Upper Chamber adopted the analysis by its Committee on Political Affairs and Governance of the Ombudsman’s 2020-2021 activity report. Among other issues, the report revealed malpractices in the distribution of milk and Shisha Kibondo fortified flour, which are meant to tackle stunting among children from needy families. Shisha Kibondo is a programme designed to tackle stunting among children aged 6-23 months. The programme also caters for pregnant and breastfeeding women through access to fortified blended flour – used to make highly nutritious porridge. As per the Ombudsman’s report, an audit carried out on the programme to provide milk to malnourished children indicated that this programme was marred with poor management. The issues identified include the milk supplied by the contractor being contained in packs different from those provided for in the agreement [with the entity in charge of childhood development] as they do not bear the indicator “not for sale”. This problem, the Ombudsman said, was resulting in some beneficiary families selling the milk, or the managers of the milk embezzling it and sell it on the open market. Other issues in this initiative include milk going bad because of pour storage, and inadequate milk provision to beneficiaries because of stock-out. Meanwhile, the report noted that the number of stunted children receiving milk in health centres increased considering the assessed fiscal years – 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 – and that the funding allocated to this initiative more than doubled to Rwf5.9 billion in 2019-2020 from over Rwf2.8 billion in the previous fiscal year. For Shisha Kibondo, the targeted beneficiaries are the most vulnerable people in the first Ubudehe category, countrywide, or the second Ubudehe category in 13 districts that have the highest poverty levels. However, the Office of the Ombudsman’s report revealed that there were cases whereby some well to do families benefited from the free nutritious flour meant to tackle malnutrition in poor families under programme. It cited teachers, nurses, and traders. Such malpractices are a hindrance to the country’s target to reduce stunting among children under five years of age from 33 per cent as of 2020 to 19 per cent by 2024. The report exposed major issues in different areas including injustice in cases tried in courts as well as frauds in funds and social protection management. Here are other major issues identified in the Office of Ombudsman’s report that need urgent action. Lambert Dushimimana, Chairperson of the Committee on Political Affairs and Governance said that the Committee realised that such issues are a result of lack of compliance with the set guidelines, and are impeding the attainment of their intended goals to improve child nutrition. “The Committee opines that for the management of milk and Shisha Kibondo to be improved, they should be put in packs that are different from packaging materials for other products in order to prevent their sales or embezzlement,” he said. “Someone might buy or misappropriate the milk and Shisha Kibondo meant to needy families, and in defence, they provide an excuse that they had no mark that would prevent them from doing so,” he said, underscoring the need to include it. Senator Adrien Umuhire said that the Government of Rwanda has been investing a lot of resources in child nutrition for the country to have healthy citizens, but the results have been impaired by ineffective implementation, stressing the need for a deep analysis of the problem. Senator Dushimimana said that the culprits for the mismanagement of these anti-malnutrition meals among children should be held accountable, adding that beneficiary families should put the support to good use to improve nutrition for their children.
