Elders and orphans to receive Sh29bn
What you need to know:
- President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday launched biometric registration for all the beneficiaries of the programme to prevent duplication and mismanagement of funds.
- Mr Kenyatta last year ordered the ministry to ensure that all the money set aside to support vulnerable people is used prudently.
About Sh29 billion will be sent to more than 400,000 needy Kenyans to improve their living standards.
The money will be sent from March by Kenya Commercial Bank, the biggest by branch network, which was awarded the tender by the Ministry of Labour, Social Security & Services.
Beneficiaries of the Inua Jamii programme include the elderly, orphans and vulnerable children, and those with severe disabilities.
A statement from the bank Thursday said that plans are under way to launch a new payment card that will be used to disburse the money.
Beneficiaries will access the money through ATMs or the bank’s agents across the country.
“Through our countrywide reach of over 240 branches and over 8,000 agents, the bank will be able to offer convenient means of presenting the funds to registered beneficiaries,” said KCB Kenya Managing Director Samuel Makome.
Selection of the beneficiaries will be done by the ministry, working closely with local authorities.
They can also pay for goods and services using the card in shopping outlets.
WIDE BRANCH NETWORK
Beneficiaries of the Inua Jamii programme will also get a bank account at KCB in what is likely to significantly increase the bank’s customer base.
Officials at the ministry said KCB was preferred because of its wide branch network, covering most areas in the country.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday launched biometric registration for all the beneficiaries of the programme to prevent duplication and mismanagement of funds.
The system will capture the biometric details of the beneficiaries to ensure that none of them receives money more than once.
Collection of payments will be pegged on the individual’s fingerprints.
Mr Kenyatta last year ordered the ministry to ensure that all the money set aside to support vulnerable people is used prudently.
It is estimated that about 46 per cent of Kenyans are living below the poverty line.
The government has been trying to lower poverty levels in the country through the establishment of various initiatives such as the Women Enterprise Fund, the National Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities and cash transfer programmes.
