The Ahadi Kenya Trust CEO, Stanley Kamau has called on the government to review the registration criteria for beneficiaries of the older persons’ cash transfer scheme because many eligible grannies have been left out for lack of identity cards.
Kamau said use of IDs as the only proof of one’s age has locked out many who have attained the requisite age of 70 years but do not the document.
Consequently, Kamau said, many elderly people have not been benefiting from the government social protection initiative that is meant to make their sunset years worthwhile.
He thus called on the government through the national government administrative officers to start fresh registration to ensure those who are qualified and have no identity cards are enrolled in the program.
“We have so many elderly people who have no ID cards and should not be locked out on account of lack of it,” said the philanthropist.
He said those without IDs cards should be assisted to enroll through official letters from their area chiefs or sworn affidavits.
The Ahadi Trust CEO was speaking on Monday in Nyaribo village within Nyeri Central Constituency where he led a team of volunteers in donating foodstuffs to over 400 elderly people and other vulnerable groups.
And as the government allowed churches to resume congregational worship, Kamau asked the senior citizens to keenly follow the age protocol requirements in church and pray from home until such a time when churches will be open for all.
By Beth Ndirangu
