The government has begun sending out cash support to hundreds of thousands of families taking care of orphans and vulnerable children across the country.
More than 430,000 households are set to receive Ksh2,000 each, after the State released about Ksh860 million under the Inua Jamii programme.
The Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services said the payments will start today, Tuesday, March 31, and will be issued through selected payment service providers.
The money disbursed falls under the Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children program, which is one of the major programs supported by the Inua Jamii initiative. In this program alone, Ksh860,396,000 has been disbursed to 430,198 households.
This will be done through the mobile phones of the families, making the process easier, especially for those living in far-flung areas.
The government hopes to help these children stay with their parents while in school and healthy with proper meals.
The principal secretary, Carren Ageng’o, said this is not just a simple disbursement of money, but a support system to help these families care for their vulnerable children.
The government says this will help these vulnerable children stay in school, healthy, and well-fed.
The disbursement will see registered households receiving Ksh4,000 every two months in two installments.
Inua Jamii targets some of the most vulnerable people in the country, including the elderly, persons living with severe disabilities and children in difficult situations.
According to data from the World Bank, millions of children in Kenya fall in the vulnerable category. The data further reveals that these have been forced into this category due to the fact that they have lost one or both parents. The money has helped in keeping these children in school, feeding them well, and protecting them from harmful activities such as child labor and early marriages.
The CT-OVC programme started small in 2004, supporting just a few hundred households at the time. Today, it has grown into a major safety net for families raising vulnerable children.
