More than one million beneficiaries under the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer programme are set to receive Sh 8.7 billion from the government so as to cushion them against the prevailing hard economic times.
State Department for Social Protection Principal Secretary Nelson Marwa said the payments will be credited into the accounts of the duly registered beneficiaries beginning next week.
In a press release to the media, Marwa said each of the beneficiaries will receive Sh 8,000 being payment for months of March, April, May and June 2021.
“The government has also disbursed an additional Sh26.3 million as top up payment to 12,054 beneficiaries of the Nutrition Improvement through Cash and Health Education (NICHE) Complementary Programme,” read the statement in part.
The statement further noted that those enrolled under the NICHE program, will receive an additional amount of up to Sh4000 per household.
“This NICHE Complementary programme targets households with children under two years, pregnant and lactating mothers who are already enrolled in the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme from Marsabit, Turkana, Kitui, Kwale and West Pokot Counties,” the statement explained.
And in line with Covid-19 protocols of social distancing, beneficiaries of the programme have been advised that the funds will remain in their accounts for a period of six months, thus there is no need for all of them to crowd banking halls at a go.
Inua Jamii is the Government of Kenya’s flagship National Safety Net Program (NSNP) for the beneficiaries of, Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC), Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT), Persons with Severe Disabilities Cash Transfer (PWSD-CT) as well as Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP).
The objective of Inua Jamii is to uplift the lives of poor and vulnerable citizens through regular and reliable bi-monthly cash transfers.
By Alice Gworo
