The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has confirmed disbursement of Ksh3.52 billion Inua Jamii Programme cash for April.
In a statement on Tuesday, May 20, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Social Protection, Joseph Motari, said the funds will target 1,760,510 beneficiaries who are currently enrolled in the programme.
"The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, through the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs, has released Ksh3.5 billion for payment to 1,760,510 beneficiaries enrolled in the Inua Jamii Program," Motari said.
The Inua Jamii program is a government initiative to support vulnerable citizens, including the poor, older persons, orphans, vulnerable children, and people with severe disabilities, by providing regular bi-monthly cash transfers.
"Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme remains a cornerstone of the government's social protection strategy," the PS said.
"It aims to alleviate poverty and promote the well-being of society's most vulnerable members, including older persons aged 70 and above, orphans and vulnerable children, and persons living with severe disability," he added.
A beneficiary of the programme can access the funds through the E-citizen platform or by dialing *222#. After this, one can withdraw the funds from an M-PESA agent or transfer them to their M-PESA wallets.
In a press statement on Monday, February 24, the ministry clarified that the government had adopted M-PESA payment as the primary mode for channelling the funds to the beneficiaries in a bid to improve efficiency, accessibility, and security.
According to the ministry, the previous bank payment system was inconvenient and time-consuming since beneficiaries were required to visit bank branches and agents to receive the funds.
It urged beneficiaries to register their SIM cards and activate their M-PESA accounts for seamless transactions.
“Beneficiaries who do not have an active M-PESA line are encouraged to register at an M-PESA agent or Safaricom outlet. This eliminates the need for beneficiaries to travel long distances for SIM registration, as reported in the article,” the ministry stated.
“The shift to mobile wallet disbursement ensures that beneficiaries can conveniently access their funds from the comfort of their homes or the nearest M-PESA agent, significantly improving service delivery,” it added.
