- Poor with serious negative climatic changes like Baringo, parts of Machakos, Kitui, parts of Makueni, Tana River and Turkana missing.
- CAS Ntutu informed the committee that the pilot programme has been implemented in 21 counties in 8 cycles from April 15, 2020, to June 9, 2020.
A report tabled in Parliament on the beneficiaries of Covid-19 government funds seemingly left out six counties traditionally known to be poor.
The report presented to the Departmental Committee on Labour reveals Embu county is traditionally rich but Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kisii and Nyamira are “seriously” affected by coronavirus.
Counties that are traditionally known to be poor with serious negative climatic changes like Baringo, parts of Machakos, Kitui, parts of Makueni, Tana River and Turkana are surprisingly missing.
Also on the list are counties that have not even reported a single case of Covid-19. Kajiado and Mandera that were supposed to be the first to be supported in the programme were placed in Phase 3.
The committee while sitting on Thursday questioned the inconsistencies in the report on the number of beneficiaries in government’s programme.
The departmental committee received an official report from the Ministry of Labour detailing the number of counties that have received the distribution of food.
The committee chaired by MP Ali Wario said it noted with concern inconsistencies in the report on the total number of beneficiaries.
Wario and members Ronald Tanui, David Sankok and Tom Odege sought to establish the number of beneficiaries currently in the programme and the criteria used to determine counties to benefit.
The committee urged the State Department for Social Protection to upscale the national safety net programme to reach more vulnerable persons and to partner with county and constituency offices in the identification of vulnerable persons.
Labour CAS Patrick ole Ntutu and Principal Secretary, State Department on Social Protection Nelson Marwa appeared before the House committee that wanted to establish the status of disbursement of funds to the targeted vulnerable persons being cushioned against the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The committee, in particular, sought to establish the status of the pilot programme in the counties of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale and the progress on rollout to other counties.
Ntutu informed the committee that the pilot programme had been implemented in 21 counties in eight cycles from April 15 to June 9, 2020, with each household receiving a weekly stipend of Sh1,000.
Ntutu added that Nakuru, Kirinyaga, Meru, Kakamega, Embu, Kiambu, Nyeri, Uasin Gishu and Kisumu had been enrolled in Phase 2 of the programme. Beneficiaries received the weekly stipend of Sh1,000 between May 5 and June 9, 2020.
Additionally, he said, Murang'a, Migori, Kajiado, Kisii, Nyamira, Machakos, Mandera and Tharaka Nithi are part of Phase 3 of the programme and received three cycles from May 26 and June 9, 2020.
Ntutu said the status of the pilot in the counties of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale had been implemented in eight cycles from May 15, 2020, to June 9, 2020, targeting 85,300 households.
“Each household has been receiving a weekly stipend of Sh1,000,” he said.
Ntutu said so far 71,298 households in 21 counties have been identified and reached.
The report says the programme is being upscaled nationwide with a focus on vulnerable households in the urban slums.
Edited by Henry Makori