People living with severe disabilities recorded the lowest registration among the three social protection programmes in Trans Nzoia County.
The county social development coordinator Leah Nyagah attributed this worrying trend to stigma where parents and relatives of people living with severe disabilities hid them in their houses.
The local social development department, which also runs the Inua Jamii programme of the elderly (70 years plus) noted that out of the total 14,338 people under the cash transfer programme, only 966 of them were registered under the disability slot.
According to Nyagah, the older person’s cash transfer registered 4,800 persons who are getting a stipend of Sh2, 000 monthly.
The orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) registered a total of 5,641 children who are benefiting from the social protection programme, aimed at cushioning beneficiaries against extreme poverty.
The coordinator said during registration, many people living with severe disabilities could not be reached easily as majority of residents could not tell their whereabouts.
However, she said her office together with that of the assistant chiefs and village elders will embark on a mission to register the disabled so as to benefit from the government programme.
Nyaga also warned caregivers who received the stipend on behalf of the beneficiaries and did not give them the money, that they risk being struck off from the programme and new ones enlisted.
She added that beneficiaries of the various government cash transfer programmes have also been enlisted with the NHIF scheme to cater for their medical needs.
By Pauline Ikanda
