- She said this includes the 1.2 million Kenyans currently covered under the Inua Jamii cash transfer programs.
- The 2023 conference will provide a way forward towards inclusion and expansion of social protection interventions.
Image: HANDOUT
More than 500 delegates arrived in Nairobi for the Kenya Social Protection Conference 2023 which starts today.
Labour and social protection CS Florence Bore said President William Ruto is set to officially open the four-day event on Tuesday.
As she toured the venue on Sunday, Bore said the event will take place at the Kenya School of Government.
"President Ruto is affirming the government’s commitment to addressing the plight of the needy and vulnerable populations of our country," Bore said.
She said this includes the 1.2 million Kenyans currently covered under the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme.
The CS said the government is working hard to steady and scale up the social production programmes in the face of the setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing economic challenges.
Currently, the state spends more than Sh20 billion annually in the social protection programmes under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
“We are seeking to do even better in expanding the social protection programmes, with the support of our development partners,” she said.
Bore said, the elderly population continues to grapple with lack of income security, inadequate health services and a deteriorating environment.
She said the government plans to push for 100 per cent National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) coverage for senior citizens within three years.
“We are also promising to enhance inclusion into society and employment opportunities for people with disabilities,” she said.
The 2023 conference will provide a way forward towards the inclusion and expansion of social protection interventions for all deserving Kenyans.
It will also provide an opportunity for the sector to advance the social protection agenda with a view to ensuring increased coverage and access.
“This conference will be expected to come up with proposals on improving the welfare of these populations,” she said.
She added that there are efforts to ensure minority groups, workers, migrants, refugees, unemployed persons and those in the informal sector are also brought into brackets of special protection.
The conference will bring together national and international participants drawn from relevant line ministries, civil society organisations.
Others are development partners, academic institutions, county governments, media, private sector, humanitarian agencies, individuals, Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies and the international arena