Poor families in Pokot to receive Sh3,000 a month

More than 16,000 poor households in West Pokot will from May receive a monthly stipend of Sh3,000 as the county government moves to cushion vulnerable residents from the raging drought in the region.

Speaking during the drought assessment meeting in Kapenguria, the County National Drought Management Authority coordinator, Mr Gabriel Mbogho, said the cash will enable the beneficiaries to buy basic items like food.

The programme which will be run in conjunction with the World Food Programme is set to start registering the beneficiaries as from 16th this month.
The money which will be disbursed via card dubbed ‘Okoa Uhai’ for the first month and then M-Pesa will be used in the subsequent months.

All the beneficiaries would be expected to present their IDs, a registered Safaricom line, a phone and a working network for them to get the money.

Mr Mbogho said those who would not have phones will receive food instead of money.

The Red Cross Society (RCS) has also started disbursing their cash transfer programme money to the most affected areas of Turkwel corridor targeting 1,200 households. Each household receives Sh3,000 each month for the three months.

Mr Mbogho said the money will help the beneficiaries buy the food that best suits their family needs, adding that he hoped the Sh3,000 per month will be enough to sustain their families.

He urged farmers to take advantage of the rains and plant crops that suit their climate to help improve food security. 

“We encouraged farmers to plant crops which can grow quickly and those in dry areas should to grow drought resistant crops,” he said.