Resolve stipend hitch

The government has not been short of good ideas, intentions and programmes to improve its citizens’ well-being. There are specific initiatives to boost the participation of women and youth in nation building.

These two groups that are often marginalised have been enabled to start smart income-generating projects by having government tenders specifically allocated to them.

The government has also taken good care of the senior citizens through a cash transfer programme. This has come in handy as a means of mitigating the suffering of families and communities due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s disappointing, therefore, that these good intentions are not being realised because of administrative hitches and shortcomings. The youth community clean-up project, under the national hygiene programme, started with a lot of promise throughout the country.

The aim was to get idle youth, especially in the informal settlements, gainfully engaged in cleaning up their neighbourhoods. However, payments have been a headache, leading to protests. The authorities have pledged to streamline this.

Pipe dream

For some of the would-be beneficiaries of the cash transfer programme, this remains a pipe dream nearly three months since President Kenyatta launched it to cushion the elderly from the economic effects of the new health scourge.

 The Ministry of Labour was in April allocated Sh8.5 billion to implement the programme. Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui has conceded teething problems and assured the country that they are being addressed.

It is annoying to hear that the delays have been due to sloppy implementation due to a mix-up in beneficiaries’ names.

However, it is encouraging to note that it has not been a total flop, as some old people have been receiving their money.

The officials tasked with this mandate must up their game and ensure that the allocated funds reach the intended beneficiaries to alleviate their suffering.