4th June 2018: President Uhuru Kenyatta has launched the national payment to the 70 years and above new Inua Jamii 70+ programme recipients, following the enrolment of over half a million citizens onto the programme.
This is in addition to more than 300,000 over-65s who were already receiving the targeted Older Persons Cash Transfer. As a result, Kenya is well on its way to providing every citizen aged 70 years and above with a pension.
Speaking during the launch at Inchuui Primary School, Tigania East, in Meru County, President Kenyatta said he is focused on ensuring senior citizens live in dignity and have a level of financial independence. “This programme will ensure that our senior citizens get a Kshs 4,000 stipend to live a dignified and respectable life,” he said.
At the height of last year’s June election campaign, President Kenyatta announced the expansion of the existing OPCT programme into a more inclusive programme that provides cash transfers to all vulnerable older persons of 70 years and above starting January 2018.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection through the State Department of Social Protection, Pensions and Senior Citizens Affairs undertook the registration of all senior citizens of 70 years and above between July and August 2017 and a total of 523,129 beneficiaries were successfully registered.
In April and May this year, the Ministry validated and enrolled 523,129 new beneficiaries into the programme through electronic bank account opening nationwide.