Elderly people are facing painful problems – neglect or abuse from their families, lack of medical care and poverty.
Then there's loneliness, lack of support and lack of love. And no hugs from their grandchildren.
Many older people are considered burdens, even witches, no longer honoured as fonts of wisdom and keepers of tradition.
Kiambu gender activist Gladys Chania said on Monday society has mostly focused on abuses of girls and women.
"Hardly does it register in society the many cases of intended and unintended negligence of the elderly and actual abuse," Chania said.
She was speaking at a ceremony to create awareness of the abuse of elderly persons. Kiambu county commissioner Wilson Wanyanga was present .
Chania said most elderly are left unattended by the same children they struggled to bring up. Some of the elderly are also struggling to raise their grandchildren with little help from the parents of the children.
"The elderly hence die a miserable lot, having never enjoyed any life even after some having able adult children who don't give support, except for burials. And they even try to take their parents' land."
According to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing census, the population of persons aged 60 and above is 1.76 million, which represents about 3.8 per cent of the total population.
Article 57 of the Constitution obligates the state together with the family to provide care and reasonable assistance to older persons.
The government launched an innovative social assistance unconditional cash transfer programme branded ‘Inua Jamii’ targeting old persons of ages 70 years and above in July 5, 2017. Others currently benefitting under this fund are orphans, persons with severe disabilities and hunger stricken families.
The activist noted that older persons face age discrimination in decisions on medical care, triage and life-saving therapies.
She said the Covid-19 pandemic has also led to a scaling-back of critical services unrelated to the disease, further increasing risks to the lives of older persons.
Chania said most of them have underlying health conditions making them vulnerable during the pandemic. This gives enough reason to consider providing reliable healthcare.
She said in some traditional settings, older widows are forcefully married off and isolated older women accused of witchcraft.
In 2006, the United Nations came up with June 15 as the day of creating awareness of abuse targeted at the elderly.
This year’s theme was 'access to justice for older persons'.
National Gender and Equality Commission lauded the government for initiating the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa.
Article 3(i) of the charter states that state parties shall prohibit all forms of discrimination against older people and encourage the elimination of social and cultural stereotypes that marginalise them.
(Edited by V. Graham)