Over 700000 senior citizens will begin receiving Sh2000 per month
Over 700000 senior citizens will begin receiving Sh2000 per month
At least 700,000 elderly, orphans, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) would begin earning Sh2,000 per month. Labor Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore informed the Senate, helping to protect them from tough economic obstacles in life.
The elderly, people with disabilities, and orphans are among the 500,000 new beneficiaries that Bore’s ministry is enrolling, and they will soon begin receiving their monthly stipends. Bore went before the Senate Plenary session to respond to concerns posed by senators.
The government is committed to having a large number of beneficiaries in the program, she said, adding that the cash transfer program is intended to support the most vulnerable people of the community by giving them a stipend to protect them from hunger and poverty and better their lives.
According to Bore, “The Ministry of Labour is registering 500,000 new beneficiaries, including the elderly, people with disabilities, orphans, and vulnerable children. We also have another 190,000 slots that have been left open due to natural attrition that need to be filled so that more Kenyans can benefit.
This will raise the overall number of program participants to 690,000, according to Bore. Her ministry will engage with National Government Administrative Officers in all 47 Counties to make sure that all vulnerable people are registered, she added.
The Cabinet Secretary was criticized by Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute over Ministry of Labour employees who demanded payment before disadvantaged groups could register; Bore rejected this, adding that anyone with proof should contact authorities so that action can be taken.
The few employees stationed across the 47 counties were doing the best they could to guarantee that the vulnerable groups were registered and that they received the benefits, according to Bore, who claimed that her ministry lacked the necessary staff to complete the exercise.
Since Kenya’s top foreign income sources are now remittances from those who live abroad, which bring in billions of shillings annually, rather than tea, coffee, or tourism, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot asked Bore to update the chamber on the progress that has been made in the signing of labor bilateral agreements.
We would like to be informed of the progress made to ensure that we export our highly sought-after labor force to various countries around the world, which will eventually lead to billions in remittances back home, said Cheruiyot. Bore said that they have started labor migration and that already have been directed to sign Bilateral agreements in about 15 Countries across the globe being a result of this.
According to Bore, “the government has created a career portal to help people with disabilities access information on employment opportunities and connect with potential employers in the Public and Private Sector.”
The government will increase the cash transfer program. Which has been in place since 2004, from the current 1.23 million to 1.73 beneficiaries across the country in a march toward their target of 2.5 million and beyond, said Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during the launch of phase two registration of farmers and vulnerable groups.
President William Ruto promised to increase the number of participants of the Inua Jamii Safety Net Program from 1.23 million to 2.5 million during the Kenya Social Protection Conference in April 2023.
