This archive report was first published on 4 June 2020.
On Thursday, three government ministries and donor organizations converged at the Kenyatta International Conventions Centre (KICC) to flag off donations aimed at fighting Covid-19.
Speaking at the event, Ministry of ICT, Innovations and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru highlighted the government's efforts to protect livelihoods during the pandemic. He mentioned the Kazi Mtaani initiative, which uses mobile payments technology to safely disburse funds to youth.
According to Mucheru, over 200,000 youths have benefited from the Kazi Mtaani project, while the Inua jamii initiative has supported over 1.2 million beneficiaries. These interventions aim to directly support communities and boost the local economy.
Ministry of Public Service and Gender CS Prof. Margaret Kobia emphasized the need to address the rise in gender-based violence cases during the pandemic. She noted that girls are staying at home longer, leading to an increase in defilement cases, early pregnancies, and domestic violence.
Prof. Kobia encouraged the community to report domestic violence cases, citing a helpline (1195) established by her ministry for counseling services.
Ministry of Labour and Social Protection CS Simon Chelugui highlighted the need to protect the elderly, who are vulnerable to the pandemic. He noted that Kenya has one of the highest old-age dependency ratios in the world, with 81% of the population relying on others for support.
Donations were made by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and Boda boda safety Association of Kenya (BAK), among others.
