Pensioners’ digital registration 80% ahead of deadline - official

At least 80 per cent of pensioners and their beneficiaries have registered on the new digital platform service ahead of the February 28 deadline.

This means that, by February 18, only 10 days before the deadline, 282,867 had already complied with the new requirement, with the National Treasury’s pension department optimistic of hitting a near-complete transition.

Latest government data shows that a total of 353,586 pensioners comprised of 268,236 principal pensioners and 85,350 dependents were in the system by January 31.

This was revealed to the Star by the director of Pensions at the National Treasury, Alfred Kagika, who has asked pensioners across the country to utilise the remaining window period to update their details to avoid being locked out of the process.

The digitisation of pensioners is aimed at enhancing efficiency and accessibility of state retirees data.

Speaking when the department visited two of the country’s oldest pensioners in Kangundo, Machakos county as part of registration mobilization, Kagika insisted that the deadline would not be extended.

“We are happy that the majority of pensioners and their beneficiaries like Joel Mutiso who is being celebrated today as the oldest pensioner, having retired from the service in 1972 have embraced this transition. I call on those who are yet to register to hurry up so that they benefit from this seamless process,’’ Kagika said.

The department is riding on the elaborate internal security and Nyumba Kumi initiative where chiefs and their assistants are sensitizing people about the registration process in various public spaces including barazas, funerals, and religious occasions.

According to him, the pensions department holds that greater accuracy and security will ensure real-time updates, reducing errors while strengthening security through biometric verification hence timely processing and disbursement of benefits, adding that by enrolling in the e-Pensions Management Information System (e-PMIS), pensioners will benefit from: seamless access to services.

“They can update their records from anywhere, eliminating the need for physical visits and long queues. The department is proud to spearhead this forward-looking initiative, reaffirming its commitment to delivering exemplary pension services that uphold the dignity and well-being of our retirees.”

According to him, registration is not only aimed at updating pensioner records but also lays the groundwork for a seamless transition to the e-PMIS, which will integrate with the other government databases to provide a fully automated pension administration system.

Kagika said that verified and up-to-date records will facilitate timely processing and disbursement of benefits as the digital process will enable integration with key government platforms including the human resource information system, IFMIS, civil registration databases, and other government systems, ensuring coordinated service delivery.