NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 15 – The Government on Friday released Sh8.7 billion in the latest phase of the Inua Jamii social security program under the State Department for Social Protection.
1.09 million vulnerable Kenyans will receive payments beginning Monday through four commercial banks – Equity, KCB, Co-operative Bank and Post Bank.
Each beneficiary Sh2,000 monthly totaling to Sh8,000 for the July August and September- October payment cycles.
Labor and Social Protection Principal Secretary Nelson Marwa said only beneficiaries who have opened bank accounts will access the funds.
“Only those who are in the payroll that is Payment Service Providers will receive the money,” he said.
Over 15,000 beneficiaries have been removed from the payroll of the program dubbed Inua Jamii targeting orphans, the severely disabled and elderly people from poor households.
Marwa stated an audit conducted by the State Department revealed that some of the beneficiaries had died but their names were never expunged from the payroll.
“The payroll has been cleaned, this means removing those who are not needed in the payroll, this are the people who have died over time,” Marwa said.
The government has mobilized county commissioners to ensure Inua Jamii Payments are accessed by everyone including those with critical disabilities.
Marwa said his department will conduct impromptu checks at banks to ensure vulnerable persons access monies due to them.
“We will be having impromptu checks without announcing. We want to know the efficiency of how Kenyans are being served,” he said.
The PS said the government will next year conduct a nationwide recruitment exercise running for two months to ensure all elderly people are enrolled.
The beneficiaries whose data was not migrated to the audited payroll will be re-targeted in Phase III.
The third phase will target limited persons to replace deceased beneficiaries expunged from the social protection payroll.
The government urged the beneficiaries to utilize the money to improve their livelihood.
