Haki Yetu Organisation is calling on the government to strengthen policies within the proposed Older Persons Bill 2024 to better support the welfare of older individuals in society.
In a press briefing during a public participation forum on the bill held in Kilifi, Haki Yetu Executive Director Peter Kiama voiced his dissatisfaction with the current level of public involvement.
He criticised the decision to have the forum at the county headquarters instead of at the grassroots level, where elderly residents are often subjected to abuse.
“We welcome the government’s initiative to come to Kilifi to provide a space for public participation but it should have been held in the rural areas where most elderly people live and are greatly abused instead of here at the county headquarters,” he said.
Kiama highlighted the organisation’s alarming findings, documenting the deaths of 138 senior citizens in Kilifi and 22 in Kwale between 2020 and 2022, adding that within the past week, three elderly individuals were reported killed in Ganze and Rabai sub-counties.
He emphasised the need for the care of elderly persons to become a devolved function, allowing county governments to more effectively address their needs, including the distribution of monthly allowances.
“Currently the Ministry of Social Protection is issuing 2,000 Shillings every month to elderly persons across the country. We do believe that it should be the responsibility of the county government to facilitate the disbursement,” Kiama remarked.
He also stressed the importance of the Bill acknowledging African cultural traditions in caring for the elderly, noting that institutionalising them in old age homes goes against the cultural norms.
Haki Yetu Programme Coordinator Julius Wanyama supported Kiama’s views, pointing out the government’s lack of comprehensive measures to ensure the welfare and safety of older persons.
“From the cases that we have observed here, it is clear that the government still does not have an elaborate way of effectively looking after the welfare and safety of older persons,” Wanyama noted.
He mentioned the collaboration between Haki Yetu and the justice system to develop the Alternative Justice System, aimed at better handling elder abuse cases.
Wanyama expressed frustration with the police service’s failure to deliver justice for abused older persons, citing issues such as the non-arrest of perpetrators and the failure to bring witnesses to court, which have led to many cases stalling or being dismissed.
By Cynthia Maseno
