Government Releases Sh135.8 Million to Persons with Severe Disabilities under the Inua Jamii Programme

For the next six months, vulnerable citizens in Kenya including Persons with Severe Disability enrolled in the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme will have access to their July-August 2020 funds.

This is after the government released Sh4.3 billion for payment to a total of 1,091,166 beneficiaries enrolled in the programme. The funds will be channeled through the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

According to the Ministry, a total of 33,948 beneficiaries enrolled under the Persons with Severe Disability cash transfer programme will receive Sh135,820,000 between them.

Each of the beneficiaries will receive Sh4,000 to cover the July-August 2020 payment cycle. Other groups of beneficiaries include orphans and vulnerable children and older persons.

According to the Ministry, a total of 293,665 beneficiaries enrolled in the orphans and vulnerable children cash transfer programme will receive Sh1.17 billion. Meanwhile, 763,553 beneficiaries enlisted under the older persons cash transfer programme will be paid Sh3.05 billion.

Similar to Persons with Severe Disability, these beneficiaries shall also receive Sh4,000 each.

The payout of the money started on November 23 and will be accessible to beneficiaries or caregivers at any time over the next six months. A beneficiary is allowed to withdraw all or a part of this amount at any time during the six-month period.

Recipients of the funds are those who successfully opened bank accounts for any of the three programmes under the Consolidated Cash Transfer Programme (CCTP) and were successfully submitted to the Consolidated Cash Transfer Management Information System (CCTP MIS). 

Beneficiaries will receive their payments through the contracted Payment Service Providers (PSPs) who are Co-operative Bank Ltd, Equity Bank Kenya Ltd, KCB Bank Kenya Ltd, and Kenya Post Office Savings Bank Ltd.

The Ministry has given various channels from where the funds can be collected which include the nearest authorized bank agent of the bank in which they opened their accounts or over the counter of the nearest branch of that bank.

They can also collect their funds from the nearest ATM of their bank using the Inua Jamii Payment card for those with invalid BIOs and who had applied for a PIN from the bank through the field office.

The ministry adds that Cash-On-Transit can also be arranged between the officers and the Branch Managers in the field.

“Beneficiaries or caregivers are required to produce their Inua Jamii payment cards and Identity card to receive the payments; and those going for payment for the first time must transact biometrically.”

Due to the delayed payment of the July-August cycle, the Government says it plans to effect the payment of two cycles (a double payment) following this payment.

The Inua Jamii programme was launched in 2015 by President Uhuru Kenyatta as one of the channels for his administration to tackle poverty and cater for the under-privileged in the society.

Margaret Njuguna