A lobby has thrown its weight behind calls to recognise and remunerate village elders under the Nyumba Kumi Initiative.
National Community Ambassadors Kenya (NCAs-Kenya), in a memorandum presented to the Ministry of Interior and National Administration on Tuesday, said elders have long been advocating for official recognition and fair compensation for their services.
“Under the Nyumba Kumi Initiative many committees have assumed the role of the police, conducting investigations, even to the point of carrying out patrols at night,” NCAs-Kenya secretary general Benson Kagete said.
Kagete said village elders are responsible for maintaining peace and order at the village level, resolving disputes and acting as a bridge between the residents and the local government.
"The Nyumba Kumi village elders are respected and trusted by the community, as they have been serving for many years,” he added.
Ministry of Interior and National Administration has developed the Draft National Government Village Administration Policy 2024.
The policy seeks to provide a framework for the recognition and facilitation of Village Administrative Elders for efficient service delivery at the village level.
The ministry has since invited stakeholders and the general public to submit their views through a written memorandum on the policy. Views are to be hand-delivered to the ministry on or before June 6, 2024.
Kagete said the ministry should implement the provisions of section 41 of the National Police Service Act (No. 11A of 2011) through the establishment and operationalization of the County Policing Authorities at the county level.
He further said the National Government Co-ordination Act and the County Governments Act, 2012 be reviewed and amended in order to ensure harmonization in the establishment, structure and functions of the Village elders at both the County and National levels.
Village Administrative Elders, positioned as the government’s representative at the grassroots level hold roles in overseeing villages collaborating with chiefs and assistant chiefs.
Despite their contributions, the elders have operated without financial compensation, relying solely on their sense of duty and community spirit.
Elders are tasked with the overseeing day-to-day functioning of the village, addressing community needs and ensuring local affairs are managed efficiently and effectively.
They also document and maintain a register of village incidents. A petition is currently before the Senate calling for recognition and remuneration of village elders under the Nyumba Kumi Initiative.
The petitioner prays that the Senate intervenes and facilitates the amendment of the National Government Coordination Act number 1 of 2013 to recognise a village as the lowest administrative unit after sub-location.
