Hundreds of elderly people from Magarini subcounty on Tuesday protested delays in the Inua Jamii registration that saw them spend the whole day under scorching sun in vain.
More than 2,000 senior citizens some with severe disabilities, had turned up to register for the programme at the Magarini cultural centre but could not be registered due to delays reportedly caused by having few personnel and poor planning.
They were disappointed further when the officials told them to go back home after only registering 300 people.
The majority who were from the remotest parts of Magarini, said travelling to and from is expensive and could not afford it, opting to sleep at the cultural centre and try their luck the following day.
When journalists arrived at the centre, some of the elderly were seated on the ground with others asleep due to fatigue and hunger as they pondered their next move.
Reports indicated that there was only one machine for the registration and it started working some minutes to midday.
Mlandi Jefwa an elderly man from Kaembe Kaisha, a remote part of Magarini, said the officials asked for his ID card and telephone number and told him to wait outside.
However, he said he waited for his name to be called out the whole day in vain, and had to go look for food and a place to sleep then try his luck the following day.
"I am suffering because I am unable to go back home, I have no transport to go there, right now am going to look for a place to sleep until tomorrow," Jefwa who came at 9am said.
Kahati Baya the chairperson of Maendeleo ya Wanawake organisation in Gongoni ward said services delivery by the registration officers was poor and that the elderly who are illiterate, were being mistreated.
She said she tried going to the assistant county commissioner's office to report but she was not there.
"They are mistreating the elderly yet they are the ones whose efforts helped put up the schools they went to to get an education. They should respect them."
Baya called on the government to increase the number of officers and machines, adding that it will be more effective if the senior citizens are reached out in the grassroots in chiefs' offices.
Alfred Kiti from Chonyi in Kilifi South said he was referred to Magarini three days ago and came only to be kept waiting the whole day without being registered.
"The officer told me to go back home and come back tomorrow, I do not have fare and will have to sleep here and wait until tomorrow to try again, the problem is the machine is one and officers are few," he said.
Japhet Kasiwa from Midodoni area said their names were taken three days ago at the chief's office and they were told they would be registered in the system only to be kept waiting.
Kasiwa said they arrived at the centre at 8am but the officers arrived at 11am hence they were only able to serve a few people.
"People have spent the whole day hungry, others will sleep here and try to access the services tomorrow. This is unfair," he said.
Tsuma Nzai Kombe the coordinator of Mijikenda Kaya elders and Magarini cultural centre director who offered the space for the registration, decried the manner in which the elders were being treated.
He said the idea of the Inua Jamii programme was good and hailed the government for it but said its execution was frustrating those meant to benefit.
"The machines are few, officers are also few, we ask the government to give priority to the elderly they need to be protected, but so far they are being frustrated in the registration process," he said.
He said the government should engage Kaya elders during such exercises so that they sensitise the elderly to prevent such problems in the future.
Magarini subcounty children officer Sebastian Muteti who is in charge of the registration confirmed that the turnout was large but attributed the registration issues to the machine which was downloading slowly leading to the delays.
Muteti said they are targeting 7,000 people from the county, 3,000 of which will be from Magarini which has the highest number of beneficiaries.
"In short, people are many, we will be here and will register those from Fundisa and Adu location and also those who were not served yesterday," he said.
He called on the elderly to bear with them saying the process of downloading the e-ticket was slow.
-Edited by SKanyara
