In 2024, women-led homes were the greatest beneficiaries of government-led safety net programmes, as men-led families struggled to access the funds.
Of the total Sh18.7 billion in funding released under the Inua Jamii program, just about 20 percent went to families headed by men.
New data released by the Public Service Commission shows that an estimated 441,760 households with 1,172,768 orphans and vulnerable children received support amounting to Sh6.37 billion.
The majority of the households were female-headed, with 365,817 (82.8 per cent) compared to the 75,943 ( 17.2 percent) male-headed households.
Each household was entitled to a monthly stipend of Sh2,000. This means that for every five households led by women who received the funds, only one led by a man benefited.
However, PSC has now raised issues with the way the funds were handled, raising concerns about the program’s transparency.
“Inconsistencies were noted between the amounts disbursed and the number of beneficiaries for the Inua Jamii programs,” the Public Service Commission chairperson Anthony Muchiri said in the 2024 PSC values report.
PSC further notes that evidence of an expansion plan that spells out how disbursements will be allocated equitably across the 47 counties during scale-ups and replacements under the different programs was not provided.
Impact evaluation on empowerment programs for the marginalized and vulnerable groups had not been conducted.
Turkana County recorded the highest number of beneficiaries under the Inua Jamii programme, with 24,848 households ( 5.6 per cent), followed by Kakamega ( 19,470 households, 4.4 per cent) and Mandera ( 17,970 households, four per cent.
In contrast, Lamu County had the fewest beneficiaries ( 1,867 households, 0.4 percent), followed by Taita Taveta ( 3,350 households, 0.8 percent) and Laikipia ( 3,493 households, 0.7 percent).
Under the Persons with Severe Disabilities Cash Transfer Programme, Sh1.015 billion was disbursed to 61,174 households, each receiving Sh2,000 monthly.
Male-headed households accounted for 54.8 per cent ( 33,546 ) of the beneficiaries, while female-headed households made up 45.2 per cent ( 27,628 ).
Mandera County again led in beneficiaries with 3,712 households, just about six percent, followed by Migori, with 2,676 households ( 4.4 percent), and Nairobi ( 2,669 households, 4.3 percent).
The lowest beneficiaries were in Isiolo, where 304 households, or just about 0.5 percent, benefitted; Lamu, with 311 households ( 0.5 percent); and Tana River ( 515 households, 0.8 percent).
“A total of 1,236,985 beneficiaries received support amounting to Sh18.7 billion under the Older Persons Cash Transfer Programme. The majority of the beneficiaries were female at 754,741 ( 61 per cent) and 482,244 ( 39 per cent) were male.,” the data by PSC shows.
HIGHEST NUMBER
The highest number of beneficiaries were from Murang’a County, with 65,319 ( 5.2 percent), followed by Kiambu, with 55,758 ( 4.5 percent), and Kitui, with 54,260 ( 4.3 percent).
The fewest beneficiaries were from Lamu, 3,680 ( 0.3 percent), followed by Isiolo, 5,005 ( 0.4 percent), and Tana River, 6,948 ( 0.6 per cent).
The findings come as Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has flagged significant concerns regarding the management and transparency of Kenya’s social protection programs.
In the report, she outlined discrepancies in the disbursement of funds and emphasized the need for reforms to ensure fairness, accountability, and effectiveness in the government-led initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable groups.
Gathungu recommended an audit to reconcile disbursed amounts with the beneficiary lists, addressing the inconsistencies noted in the distribution of funds under the programs and ensuring regularity and accountability in financial allocations.
Further, she says the State Department for Social Protection should prioritize equity in the registration and disbursement of funds.
She emphasized that all 47 counties should receive fair representation and support to ensure no vulnerable group is left behind.
“The State Department for Social Protection to undertake an impact evaluation of social protection programs to ascertain their efficacy, effectiveness, and sustainability by 30th June 2025,” said Gathungu.
Already parliament has summoned Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo to explain the decision to cut more than Sh100 million that had been allocated to the Inua Jamii programme.
The National Assembly’s Committee on Social Protection invoked provisions of Article 125 of the Constitution to compel Kiptoo to appear before it after skipping three invitations.
Kiptoo was required to explain why more than Sh100 million had been returned to the National Treasury for Inua Jamii, which is administered under the State Department for Social Protection.
The Social Protection Ministry transfers the money to beneficiaries through the financial institutions but the Treasury requires that the undisbursed or uncollected cash be returned to the exchequer which is then reallocated to other projects. The government only provides social assistance through the Inua Jamii scheme for those aged 70 years and above.
Inua Jamii is an umbrella term for cash transfers for the poor and at risk of harm under the government’s National Safety Net Programme.
Included in the Inua Jamii
scheme are older persons together with orphans and vulnerable
children, persons with severe disabilities, and a hunger safety net
programme for the poorest in eight
arid counties.
