Some 933,129 households with older persons will be supported through cash transfers in the next financial year, Budget Policy Statement for State Department for Social Protection shows.
This is 100,000 more than the target for the last financial year (2022-23), the report said.
The report further said 503,000 households with orphans and vulnerable children supported will receive cash transfers compared to 353,000 in the financial year 2022-23.
It added that 94,000 households with Persons With Severe Disabilities will be supported with cash transfers.
“This is double the base year target of 47,000,” the BPS, which has been submitted and tabled in the National Assembly indicated.
The 2023 BPS comes at a time when the country’s economy is facing a number of challenges such as the prolonged drought, high cost of living and soaring public debt.
The State Department for Social Protection is seeking to scale up resources to cushion the vulnerable members of society under several programmes such as the social safety net programme (Inua Jamii) including the Kenya Hunger Safety Programme and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities Fund.
“The objective of the programmes is to cushion vulnerable groups to meet basic human needs and live a dignified life,” the report added.
The proposed allocation for the state department for social protection is Sh36.1 billion compared to Sh34.6 billion in the last financial year.
The Older Persons Cash Transfer targets persons of age 65 or more who are poor, vulnerable and are not beneficiaries of any cash transfer programme.
The specific objectives of the OPCT programme are to cushion older persons and their households from income-threatening risks such as sickness, poor health, and injuries; ensure enjoyment of quality life and break intergenerational poverty by providing younger household members with the opportunity to go to school or go to work through regular and predictable cash transfers.
