NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 19 -More than 1 million beneficiary of the Inua Jamii programme will start receiving cash from tomorrow, to cushion them from the effects of COVID-19.
The 1.1 million beneficiaries are mainly the elderly and people living with disabilities, registered for government stipends monthly and are drawn from across the country.
“The money has already been wired to the four banks contracted to pay the beneficiaries,” said Nelson Marwa, the Labour Principal Secretary who oversees the payments.
Marwa said an additional Sh500 million had been set aside to clear arrears owed to persons living with severe disabilities under the cash transfer program.
According to Marwa, each beneficiary is set to receive Sh8, 000 payment for months of January though to April this year.
They are allocated Sh2000 monthly.
“Beneficiaries are therefore, advised that the funds will remain in their accounts for a period of six months hence there is no need for all of them to rush to the banks to collect the money at the same time to avoid crowding at the payment points,” he said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, in his address on Thursday, announced that his administration had rolled out a program to help the needy households in the country who have been adversely affected by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic that had infected 262 people in the country by April 18, 2020.
Part of the measures was a further injection of Sh5 billion to the County Governments Emergency COVID- 19 Fund that oversees the fight against the virus in all the 47 devolved units.
The public service commission and the Ministry of Health were also directed to develop a welfare package to cushion medics who are on the frontline as the country battles coronavirus.
The president said the package should include actions by medical insurance companies to cover the health requirements of the health care workers.
“It’s important to recognize the critical importance of the health, mental and emotional needs of medical officials,” Kenyatta said.
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