The elderly, persons with severe disability and vulnerable children in Kiambu County are set to be registered for the Inua Jamii cash transfer program.
Speaking at a launching event for the registration drive, County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha said that the drive turnout was very high, even as the drive seeks to streamline the disbursement process.
“When this was done five years ago there was a very low turnout, the number of people who have reached the registration age of 70 and up has also grown since then, and the government’s goal of registering 500,000 people shows a very important step towards helping many vulnerable people in Kiambu,” he said.
Speaking to KNA, the County Coordinator for Social Development Wairimu Kamau said that the drive is targeting other groups other than the elderly, who equally deserves assistance from the government.
“The widened scope of the registration allows us to have a multifaceted approach to this social program, we are anticipating that by the end of this month, we will have been able to newly register a number of beneficiaries throughout the 15 sub-counties,” she said.
Kamau continued by pointing out that the registration within the sub-counties would be coordinated with a number of different groups in the area, with assistance from designated community volunteers who will spread information to the individuals who are not registered in designated locations, with registration in the sub-counties being conducted in chiefs’ offices.
“We have met with the Ministry of Interior as well as the local area MP’s officers to properly reach out to the public and inform them of the participation program, we are also calling on the people who have registered today to spread the word in their local circles and in their churches to allow for the most people to benefit,” she added.
Rosemary Nduta, a mother of a child with Down syndrome expressed her gratitude for the event and thanked the government for reviewing new and old members pointing out that her father who had been previously registered was still receiving funds even though he passed away 3 years ago.
“For me and my child this is a great opportunity to gain much-needed funds for my child, she has special needs and with the new consistent payments we can get certain foods that my daughter can eat, it’s also a good thing because there are many who are still receiving the benefits and they may have passed away in the case of the elderly,” she said.
The Inua Jamii program seeks to continue helping eradicate poverty, hunger, and malnutrition among the vulnerable citizens.
By Cedric Karungaru
