Suna West Member of Parliament Peter Masara has proposed a bill that envisions a situation where the government will pay Kenyans earning low wages to cushion them from the high cost of living.
In the Social Assistance (Amendment) Bill 2023, Masara noted that all Kenyans seeking to be part of the program should prove that they earn low wages. These Kenyans shall be classified as those who are employed but cannot meet their basic needs.
He adds that the person should prove that the failure to have a high source of income is not due to negligence or lack of industry.
If the bill is approved, the Social Assistance Authority shall review the list of those on the list every six months to ascertain whether the person is still eligible for social assistance.
"The bill proposes to require the Cabinet Secretary in consultation with the Authority to regularly review the interval payments and the amounts payable under social assistance to persons in need to reflect the changes in the cost of living," Masara stated.
Per the bill, the cost of living means the cost of purchasing goods and services as measured by the changes in the consumer price index provided by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
Additionally, the Cabinet Secretary in consultation with the Authority will be required to develop a scheme to give effect to this proposal
Furthermore, the bill proposes that the Social Assistance Authority shall collaborate with county governments to provide social services to elderly persons in all counties.
The bill further calls for a periodic review of the financial assistance offered to the elderly under social assistance services to factor in inflation and the rising cost of living to ensure the elderly in the community can live a dignified life regardless of age.
Currently, the government under the Inua Jamii program has enlisted over 200,000 elderly Kenyans and has set aside Ksh2 billion for this group.
In February, to ensure all qualified Kenyans benefit, the Ministry of Labour urged 100,000 beneficiaries to register for mobile money services to get their funds faster.
CS Florence Bore noted that so far 207,000 beneficiaries had received their December payment through mobile money services.
