The government is facing a shortfall of Sh10 billion for the cash transfer programme for the elderly, orphans and the disabled, Parliament has been told.
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore told Senators that the government is yet to pay four months' arrears under the Inua Jamii programme.
She said the ministry is yet to release the January-February and March-April 2023 cash. “We are short of Sh10 billion to cover all persons above the age of 70 years. As we speak, we have four months’ arrears to the enrolled under the Inua Jamii programme,” she told the Senate.
“President William Ruto has directed that come June, we will have to pay older persons, orphans and the disabled first before we pay our salaries and those of other civil servants.”
She said the available resources are not adequate to register any additional older persons for the programme.
The fund, which was launched in 2015 by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, sees beneficiaries take home a Sh2,000 stipend monthly as a cushion against hunger and poverty vulnerabilities.
The government in January released Sh8.6 billion for the cash transfer programme to cover the July-August and September-October 2022 cycles.
Ms Bore appeared before the Senate Committee on Labour to explain when former councillors, who exited office at the advent of devolution in 2013, will be enrolled on the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme.
An inter-agency task force has established that the former councillors are 12,247.
“Should the resources be allocated to the programme, the enrollment process will be announced by the Ministry and therefore eligible former councillors will be invited to avail themselves for registration,” Ms Bore said.
