The government has been put under renewed pressure to continue registering elderly citizens under the Older Persons Cash Transfer Programme, despite earlier concerns about lack of funding for the Inua Jamii initiative.
This push came from the National Assembly Committee on Implementation, which on Tuesday ordered the State Department of Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs to resume the registration process.
This directive followed several complaints in Parliament about the poor living conditions of thousands of elderly Kenyans.
Raphael Wanjala, the Committee’s chairperson, told Social Protection Principal Secretary (PS) Joseph Motari that even though the department’s budget had not been increased, there was no valid reason for delaying the registration exercise.
“PS, our role as the Committee on Implementation is to make sure Parliament’s resolutions are carried out. I now instruct you to begin the registration exercise immediately.
In four weeks, we will invite you and the National Treasury to discuss the matter further,” Wanjala stated.
This directive was issued despite the State Department’s earlier warning that it was facing serious financial shortages.
These constraints were worsened after Parliament refused to approve additional funds during the recent Supplementary Estimates II for the 2024/2025 financial year.
The Committee’s directive is in line with a motion passed by Parliament and sponsored by Kilome MP Thaddeus Nzambia. The motion called for the continued and timely registration of elderly citizens into the programme without delay.
In a major policy shift, the government has also been instructed to lower the qualifying age for cash transfers from 70 to 65 years. This would allow more elderly Kenyans to benefit from the monthly support.
However, PS Motari informed the Committee that the current policy guidelines only allow cash support to seniors aged 70 and above.
He added that even if the policy were changed, the government might not have enough funds to support everyone in the new age bracket.
“Chair, we are facing financial difficulties. The President has directed that cash transfers be given priority even before paying salaries.
Unfortunately, because of the budget issues, I can only begin disbursing the funds today. I’m using Article 223 of the Constitution since there’s no approved budget for this,” PS Motari explained.
Members of Parliament pointed out that Kenya’s average life expectancy is about 66 years, and lowering the qualifying age to 65 would be fair and more inclusive for older citizens.
Currently, the cash transfer programme receives support from the World Bank. The government has also developed an Enhanced Single Registry system that allows for smooth entry and exit of beneficiaries—ensuring that when someone leaves the programme, another person next in line is registered.
During the same meeting, Mombasa County Women Representative Zamzam Mohammed and Trans Nzoia Woman MP Lilian Siyoi raised concerns about elderly people and persons with disabilities who are unable to travel to registration centers.
They urged the government to conduct home visits to reach these individuals and ensure no eligible person is left out of the programme.
“Many people with disabilities are being excluded from the registration process just because their disabilities are not considered ‘severe enough.’ This is discriminatory,” MP Siyoi stated.
In response, PS Motari admitted that the current profiling process is unfair. However, he assured the Committee that the recently passed Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2023—sponsored by Senator Crystal Asige—would put an end to such profiling. Once signed into law, the bill will allow all persons with disabilities to be included in the programme, regardless of the extent of their condition.
With these new developments, more elderly Kenyans and persons with disabilities are expected to benefit from the cash transfer programme in the near future.
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