The National Government’s Inua Jamii programme continues to transform lives by providing regular financial support to older persons, orphans and children in need of care and protection, and persons with severe disabilities.
Government records show that 26,879 elderly persons in Kericho County benefited from the programme, receiving a total of Sh93.314 million in cash transfers, with each registered beneficiary entitled to Sh2,000 every month.
For beneficiaries such as community elder Sylvester Turieny of Roret in Bureti Sub-County, the monthly support provided through the Inua Jamii programme has become an important lifeline, offering regular financial assistance that helps him and other older persons meet some of their basic household needs.
The support, he said, has provided a measure of stability to beneficiaries who often have limited and unreliable sources of income, enabling them to cope better with the day-to-day demands of life.
Turieny, who has lived in the country since independence, said the regular payments had helped ease some of the financial pressure faced by elderly people, particularly those whose ability to earn a livelihood had diminished with age.
“Regular government support not only helps beneficiaries meet immediate needs but also gives them a greater sense of inclusion and reassurance, particularly at a stage of life when opportunities to generate independent income are limited,” added Turieny
Commenting on the just-concluded presidential development tour of Kericho County, the elder welcomed ongoing investments in roads, saying improved connectivity had made it easier for residents to travel, transport farm produce, and access markets and essential services.
He said better roads had the potential to strengthen economic activity in rural areas by reducing the difficulties associated with movement, improving access to trading centers, and making it easier for farmers to get their produce to markets in a timely manner.
Turieny commended the government’s efforts to expand healthcare access through SHA and urged it to consider free coverage for older persons to ease medical costs and enable them to access essential treatment when needed.
The elder, a former police officer in the Internal Security department during the administration of the late President Jomo Kenyatta, urged the government to sustain efforts to address historical injustices, corruption, and impunity by strengthening institutions mandated to uphold accountability, justice, and the rule of law.
By Fidel Ochieng and Humphrey Edwin
