This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
As of November 16, 2019, Kenya's Labour Ministry had successfully migrated over one million beneficiaries from a card-based payment system to bank accounts, paving the way for the release of Sh8.7 billion to support the elderly and vulnerable groups.
Labour and Social Protection Permanent Secretary Nelson Marwa announced that the funds, amounting to Sh8.7 billion, would be disbursed starting from Monday, covering the months of July, August, September, and October.
The cash transfer programme, which operates under three pillars - older persons' cash transfers, orphans and vulnerable children, and persons with severe disabilities - aims to promote social and economic inclusion and reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.
According to Marwa, the new system consolidates cash transfers for the three pillars into a single payroll, enhancing efficiency and eliminating challenges such as long distances to pay points, a limited window of 21 days, mass system failures, and mapping beneficiaries to specific branches.
The programme has been financed by The Treasury and other partners, including the World Bank, with the government allocation estimated to hit Sh32 billion.
Marwa emphasized the importance of the programme, stating, "We are giving people dignity, livelihoods have been saved, we want Kenya to take care of its own people." He also noted that the ministry is targeting beneficiaries yet to open bank accounts, adding, "Those who do not have accounts will not receive, but we are working to make sure everyone has one."
Marwa further explained that the ministry wanted to ensure that there were no third parties involved in the payment process, saying, "We wanted to make sure there are no third parties."
