• Wandayi urged those meant to receive the money to make noise if the money fails to reach their pockets.
• "We also restate that the amount needs to be doubled from the current sh 2000 to Sh4,000 and progressively scaled up to at least Sh6,000 per month," he added.
Image: FILE
Leader of Minority Opiyo Wandayi has urged elderly Kenyans to ensure they benefit from the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme.
On Friday, the MP claimed that the government had tried to quietly discontinue the programme that has been a lifeline for millions of senior citizens since.
The government had on Wednesday announced that it had released Sh8.58 billion to some 1.07 million Kenyan beneficiaries of the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme to cover July to October 2022 arrears.
"We however note that announcement and actualisation of this programme are two different things," Wandayi said
Wandayi urged those meant to receive the money to make noise if the money fails to reach their pockets.
"We are, therefore, asking all our citizens, particularly those who qualify or are dependent on this package to ensure they get their money by the January 9 as announced by the government or loudly report failure to do so and demand explanations," Wandayi said.
He also appealed to leaders to take a serious interest in this matter and ensure the money reaches the intended beneficiaries.
"This money must reach every Kenyan aged 70 and above," Wandayi said.
Wandayi said that no region or community should get preferential treatment with regard to access to publicly funded social protection programmes.
"We appeal to our leaders and citizens to be ready to speak out in case of signs of preferential treatment," he said.
The legislator noted that the disbursement announced on Wednesday does not cater for the months of November and December 2022
"We, therefore, demand that the disbursement for November and December also be released urgently," he said.
"We also restate that the amount needs to be doubled from the current Sh2,000 to Sh4,000 and progressively scaled up to at least Sh6,000 per month."
Wandayi further demanded similar cushioning for the vulnerable, particularly in the education sector.
"The education subsidy that saw parents save as much as Sh10,000 per year needs to be continued," he said.
He said the government also needs to review the raft of taxes that are set to take effect this year.
"We feel the government needs to remove taxes on books and e-books, taxes on music on Spotify and taxes on video streaming on Netflix," he said.
He said the reduction targets the most vulnerable and active segments of the population like performing artists and the youth.
The MP said artists must not be made to pay extra taxes for their music, yet the government does nothing to develop their talents.
Wandayi also said the officers feel they are being conned in broad daylight by government insurance schemes that deduct their money and fail to provide cover when they need it the most