Government disburses Sh1.78 billion to over 445,000 orphans, vulnerable children under Inua Jamii programme

Some of the beneficiaries of the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme. (Photo: X/Inua Jamii)

By Lucy Mumbi
Monday, September 8, 2025

The funds cover stipends for the June and July 2025 payment cycles under the Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC) Programme, part of the Inua Jamii initiative.

Over 445,000 orphans and vulnerable children across the country will benefit from Sh1.78 billion in government support aimed at boosting household food security, supporting school enrollment and improving health and nutrition outcomes.

In a statement on Monday, the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services said the funds cover stipends for the June and July 2025 payment cycles under the Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC) Programme, part of the Inua Jamii initiative.

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The Ministry, through the State Department for Children Services, confirmed that each beneficiary household will receive Sh4,000, representing Sh2,000 per month for the two months.

Principal Secretary of the State Department for Children Services, Carren Ageng’o, confirmed that payments have already commenced through the government’s contracted Payment Service Provider.

She explained that the programme had been delayed due to its transfer to the newly created State Department for Children Services, established under Executive Order No. 1 of 2025 to centralise and streamline all child protection programmes.

“We apologise to beneficiaries for any inconvenience caused by the delay,” she said.

Ageng’o emphasised that the CT-OVC Programme is designed to encourage the fostering and retention of orphans and vulnerable children within their families and communities, while promoting human capital development.

“The programme supports increased enrolment and transition in education, improved health and nutrition outcomes, enhanced household food security and better child protection,” she said.

The CT-OVC Programme began as a pilot project targeting 500 households across three districts, including Kwale, Garissa and Nairobi. Since then, it has expanded nationwide, now supporting over 440,000 vulnerable households across all counties and constituencies.

The monthly cash transfer has also increased from an initial Sh500 every two months to Sh2,000 per month, reflecting the government’s growing commitment to these vulnerable populations.

According to the Ministry, the last enrolment of new households into the programme was in October 2023, and it is currently fully sponsored by the Government.

The programme’s primary goal is to promote the care and retention of OVCs within their families and communities, while fostering human capital development. It focuses on enhancing education through increased enrolment and regular attendance, improving child health by promoting immunisation and nutrition, ensuring household food security, supporting timely civil registration and strengthening household knowledge and management of HIV/AIDS.

Eligibility for the programme is limited to extremely poor households with one or more OVCs as permanent members, households not benefiting from any other social assistance programme and households with caregivers who are chronically ill or unable to perform their duties.