Lack of national identity cards has denied many aged persons the opportunity to be included in the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme.
Ahadi Kenya Trust Director Dr. Stanley Kamau said some persons aged above 70 years lost their IDs and cannot even remember dates of their birth thus missing a chance to benefit from government’s money meant for the aged.
He noted that in some areas of Murang’a, the aged who do not have people to take care of them have been going through a lot of challenges.
Kamau who for a long period has been organizing charity events to donate food to the aged among other vulnerable groups in the society asked government administrators to consider bending some rules and ensure those who attained required age, benefit from the cash transfer programme.
The anti-jigger campaigner was speaking at Ngararia grounds in Kandara Friday, where his organization in partnership with Lotto Kenya donated food and non-food stuff to widows, orphans and aged people.
More than 700 vulnerable people benefited from the donation to cushion them from hardships posed by Covid-19.
“My organization has been donating food especially to the aged people and it has been established that we have many of them who are not included in the cash transfer programme.
“It’s my prayer, chiefs, community and church leaders can organize swearing in of affidavits to those who lost their IDs so that they can be registered in the programme,” observed Kamau.
He also requested government officials who are manning the programme to follow up and ensure the money reaches to the respective aged people.
Kamau further said there is a need to register pregnant teens with Linda Mama programme observing that the majority of those affected are from poor backgrounds.
Registering with the programme, he added that the girls will have a guarantee of free deliveries at government hospitals.
“The school going girls who have been impregnated are facing many problems and to support these teens to have safe deliveries is by registering them to Linda Mama programme which will cater for expenses,” he added.
On her part, Chief Executive Officer of Lotto Company, Ms Wangari Mwaura observed that her company has been engaged in supporting the less fortunate in the society with food.
She noted that in Murang’a they will donate food to more than 1,000 homesteads which have been greatly affected by the impact of Covid 19.
“We have been supporting less vulnerable families in various counties and the exercise will continue so as to reach many people affected by the effects of coronavirus,” she added.
By Bernard Munyao
