State pledges to enact Older Persons Bill by 2027

Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs PS Joseph Motari says legislation would provide a framework for protecting the rights and welfare of the elderly. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

The government has pledged to enact the Older Persons Bill, 2024, before the end of 2027 as Kenya confronts a rapidly ageing population and gaps in healthcare, income security and social protection.

Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs Principal Secretary Joseph Motari said the legislation would provide a stronger framework for protecting the rights and welfare of older persons.

Motari made the announcemnt while closing a three-day national conference to mark the International Day of Older Persons at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) in Nairobi.

“Ageing is not a peripheral issue. It is a national development issue. Every generation has a stake in how we prepare for longer lives. Every family, every community and every institution will experience ageing,” Motari said.

He was delivering closing remarks on behalf of Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua.

The government estimates that about 3.6 million Kenyans are aged 60 and above, a figure projected to rise to nearly 12 million by 2050.

The conference brought together government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, health experts and older persons, with participants warning that Kenya’s systems are struggling to keep pace with demographic changes.

Health insurance, inadequate pensions and lack of reliable income after retirement emerged among the key challenges facing older persons.

Delegates also raised concerns over fragmented interventions by government agencies, civil society and communities, calling for stronger coordination in addressing the needs of an ageing population.

Motari said the government was working to expand cash transfer programmes targeting older persons, while urging policymakers to involve them in decisions affecting their lives.

He also condemned the exploitation and abuse of older persons, calling on communities to protect their dignity and rights.

“Older persons must be included in decisions that affect them,” he said, warning communities against practices that expose the elderly to abuse and exploitation.

The conference also sought to challenge the perception of older persons as passive recipients of government assistance, with delegates emphasizing their continued contribution as caregivers, mentors, workers and community leaders.

On the final day, participants accessed free medical, legal and wellness services at an Intergenerational Village established alongside the conference.

The government also launched a Sensitization Booklet on Older Persons and Ageing, aimed at increasing public awareness of ageing and the rights of older persons.

The booklet was developed jointly by government and non-state actors, including organizations representing older persons.

Participants said the growing number of older Kenyans requires long-term investment in healthcare, social protection and opportunities that allow people to remain economically and socially active in later life.

The recommendations of the conference will be contained in the IDOP 2026 Conference Communiqué.

Closing the meeting, Mutua called for a shift in how society views ageing, urging stakeholders to build systems that allow Kenyans to grow old with dignity, security and purpose.

“Let us build a Kenya in which ageing is not feared, older age is not diminished, and every person can look forward to later life with health, security, dignity, purpose and opportunity,” he said.