Parliament has instructed the government to ensure that all Inua Jamii Cash Programme recipients receive their monthly payments amid rising concerns about delays. Lawmakers issued the directive on Wednesday following fears that thousands of vulnerable citizens could miss out on the funds for the next four months.
MPs instructed the government to guarantee that all Inua Jamii Cash program recipients receive their monthly payments, amid rising concerns about delays.
During a session on ministerial submissions on the 2025 Budget Policy Statement(BPS) with the National Assembly's Social Protection Committee, led by Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a, Principal Secretary for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs Joseph Motari raised concerns about the availability of funds to maintain the program.
He indicated that the government was facing financial challenges that could impact disbursements from March to July this year after admitting that funds for the program had been exhausted.
Motari's comments alarmed legislators, who stressed that the government must prioritise funding for the programme to safeguard elderly citizens and other vulnerable groups who rely on these stipends.
Furthermore, the Ng'ang'a MP-led committee highlighted that any interruption would have serious repercussions for beneficiaries who depend on these cash transfers for their survival.
The government was urged to take swift action to resolve the funding issues and ensure the uninterrupted continuation of the programme. MPs also called for transparency in fund allocation to prevent further delays and reassure the affected beneficiaries.
"Lawmakers directed Principal Secretary Joseph Motari (State Department for Social Protection & Senior Citizens Affairs) to ensure that all eligible candidates from the 2023 Inua Jamii registration (620,000 beneficiaries) receive their funds," a statement from the committee proceedings read in part.
The MPs also urged the PS to conduct a new enrolment for eligible beneficiaries to support the more than 600,000 people who depend on the funds.
Meanwhile, during the session, the PS reported that the shift to the eCitizen and mobile money transfer platforms had been fully implemented, saving over Ksh1.2 billion annually in transaction costs.
The lawmakers instructed the PS to improve service delivery and enhance accessibility to the National Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities at the constituency level.
Members also raised concerns over reduced funding for the Child Welfare Society, stressing the need to safeguard support for vulnerable children.
"Budget cuts should not affect basic human needs such as food, shelter, and education for vulnerable children," stated Ng’ang’a.
