Cash transfer delays leave elderly stranded as Okenyuri demands answers
Nominated Kisii Senator Essy Okenyuri
Nominated Kisii Senator Essy Okenyuri has demanded an explanation from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection over delays in the disbursement of funds under the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme, saying the hitches have left thousands of vulnerable beneficiaries in distress.
Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, Okenyuri sought a statement from Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Alfred Mutua regarding the disruption of the programme following the government’s migration to a mobile-based payment system.
The senator said the transition has triggered technical challenges that have prevented many elderly persons, people living with disabilities and other vulnerable beneficiaries, particularly in Kisii County, from accessing their monthly stipends.
The delays have hit hard across several parts of the county.
In Gesusu, Masaba South, elderly residents said they have been forced to depend on neighbours and relatives for food after missing their expected payments. Others said they had postponed hospital visits because they could no longer afford transport or medication.
In Nyamache, frustrated beneficiaries said repeated trips to government offices had yielded no solution. They complained of spending their limited resources on transport while seeking assistance, only to be told the system had not yet been restored.
Similar frustrations were reported in Kisii town, where elderly beneficiaries travelling long distances to payment centres have repeatedly returned home empty-handed after being informed that technical glitches linked to the new mobile payment platform remain unresolved.
Okenyuri told the Senate that despite repeated visits to local government offices, many beneficiaries have failed to receive assistance because officers lack the digital devices and technical tools needed to resolve migration-related challenges.
“The transition has left many vulnerable beneficiaries unable to access their cash transfers. Local officers are unable to assist because they do not have the necessary digital equipment to address the technical challenges,” she said.
The senator asked the ministry to explain the steps it is taking to address the glitches, restore smooth operations of the programme and ensure beneficiaries receive their payments without further delays.
She also sought assurances that no eligible beneficiary would be excluded or disadvantaged during the migration to the new payment platform.
The Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme supports older persons, orphans and vulnerable children, and persons living with severe disabilities.
For many elderly Kenyans, the monthly stipend is their only reliable source of income, enabling them to buy food, medicine and other basic necessities.
Okenyuri warned that prolonged payment disruptions risk pushing vulnerable households deeper into hardship and urged the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to urgently resolve the technical setbacks and equip county and sub-county offices with the tools needed to assist beneficiaries during the transition.