40,320 households have been registered under the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme in western Kenya region, the Coordinator of Children Services Duncan Ng’eno has said.
Speaking during National Government Regional Implementation Coordination and Management Committee Government Service Delivery (NGD-RICMC) meeting held at Magharibi hall in Kakamega town, Ng’eno said each of the household was receiving a monthly stipend of Sh2,000 monthly in the three counties of Kakamega, Bungoma and Busia.
He revealed that the government has also scaled up the inua jamii registration and that 34,039 new households have been registered in the region.
“We are currently doing validation to ensure those who were captured are deserving cases before they start receiving their stipends,” he said adding that the aim is to ensure there is transparency in the whole exercise.
Cash payment transfer countrywide is catering to over one million beneficiaries, translating to Sh30 billion annually.
The programme delivers financial and support directly to the poorest households of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s).
This is however expected to double after the government launched a scale up in September last year targeting 500,000 new beneficiaries.
Ng’eno said there was a challenge with some beneficiaries who were yet to acquire Safaricom mobile lines to effect the directive that moves the monies transfer from banks to mobile Mpesa platform
“Some of the beneficiaries are yet to acquire Safaricom mobile lines to facilitate the transfer of their monies,” he noted.
He further revealed that under the Presidential bursary scheme, the government was supporting 3,353 students in secondary schools with each receiving Sh30,000 yearly.
Ng’eno said there was delay in release of bursary funds but efforts were being made to ensure timely release of the same.
He lamented about the challenge of inadequate funding with respect to repatriation of children who are found in the area to their homes as well as low staffing levels.
By George Kaiga
