President Uhuru Kenyatta to launch Sh4bn stipend programme

By Rawlings Otieno

Nairobi, Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta will Monday launch the Sh4 billion countrywide cash transfer programme for the poor in Murang’a County.

Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi announced Sunday that 454, 200 people would receive a monthly stipend of Sh2,000 to cushion them against the high cost of living.  Kambi said out of 40 million people, 46.7 per cent were living in poverty and were unable to buy food and other basic commodities.

Beneficiaries of the cash transfer programme are orphans, the elderly, the disabled and the poor in urban areas. “The cash is aimed at reducing poverty and vulnerability at the household level and to improve people’s livelihoods,” said Kambi during a media briefing in Nairobi.

 The largest group that will benefit from the cash are 253,000 vulnerable children, those above 65 years totaling 164, 000 and 27,200 disabled people. 

 The objective of the programme is to reduce the poverty index by 13 per cent, increase school enrolment, reduce child labour and improve food security in the household.