State allocates Sh3.49bn for September Inua Jamii cash transfers to support 1.7m beneficiaries

The government has disbursed Sh3.49 billion for the September Inua Jamii cash transfers programme.

In a statement, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection confirmed that Sh3,492,591,500 was released on Friday, October 4, 2024, to support 1,739,919 beneficiaries enrolled in the programme.

Principal Secretary of State Department for Social Protection Joseph Motari said the current payroll includes an additional Nutrition Improvement through Cash and Health Education (NICHE) component.

The complementary top-up will benefit 22,217 individuals, amounting to Sh12,753,500.

He noted that payments commenced on October 4, 2024, with each beneficiary set to receive Sh2,000, covering the September 2024 cycle.

The Inua Jamii programme is a government initiative designed to assist the most vulnerable members of society by providing financial support to alleviate poverty, combat hunger, and improve their overall quality of life.

Last month, Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary, Alfred Mutua, informed senators that by December 1, 2024, the ministry plans to implement a digital stipend transfer system to streamline the distribution of the Sh2,000 aid.

Starting in December, recipients of the government's various social protection cash transfer programmes will receive their monthly stipends directly to their mobile phones, marking the end of a prolonged wait of over a year.

The initiative is part of the government’s efforts to refine the Inua Jamii programme by eliminating deceased beneficiaries, whose caregivers have continued to collect stipends without proper reporting. Mutua explained that over one million beneficiaries will receive their funds via the M-Pesa platform, eliminating the need to visit banks or agents.

He emphasised that current beneficiaries often face challenges accessing their stipends from registered financial institutions, particularly affecting the elderly and individuals with disabilities.

"We are launching a programme by December 1, 2024, to ensure that all funds will be transferred directly to recipients' phones or designated M-Pesa accounts. This will spare them the trouble of travelling long distances, spending money, and waiting all day to receive the Sh2,000," Mutua said.

President William Ruto had previously directed this change during last year's Jamhuri Day celebrations to alleviate the difficulties beneficiaries face in accessing cash.

Mutua also mentioned that the contracts with the banks currently handling the transfers were nearing expiration, prompting the government’s shift toward digital platforms. This transition aims to relieve those registered under Inua Jamii, as well as orphans, vulnerable children, and persons with disabilities, from the burden of visiting financial institutions for their funds.

Currently, around six contracted banks employ agents in wards and sub-counties to disburse the funds.

"Right now, people spend their mornings collecting money from banks or agents. They often have to travel long distances and wait in line all day, which is simply unfair," he noted.

He pointed out the inefficiency of the current system, saying, “You can’t have someone spending Sh500 on travel and another Sh200 on food when they are supposed to receive Sh2,000. The money is already gone.”

In January, the government initiated a digital registration process for programme beneficiaries and began making payments via M-Pesa. The programme, which started in 2007 with just 300 elderly beneficiaries, has grown to over 1.2 million recipients, with those aged 70 and older comprising 833,129.