Pay vulnerable stipend in full and on time

Did President William Ruto’s government terminate this journey that he and his then-boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta, began during their ‘UhuRuto’ Jubilee government that gave hope to the less fortunate?

The Inua Jamii social welfare programme gave the elderly and persons with disability, among other vulnerable members of society, a Sh2,000 monthly stipend for their upkeep.

With President Kenyatta failing to release the funds in the last two months of his tenure, it was expected that his successor would, at least in his first 100 days in office. Sadly, he has not done anything after he was sworn in as the president.

Do the MPs know the elderly are not receiving the stipend? So, what are they doing about it?

The programme was a great development that helped many old people to settle some of their bills and put food on the table. It reduced their overdependence on their working offspring who, for a while, did not receive calls from home asking for money to cater for domestic stuff. With the cash, they could handle on their own.

Elders are “hustlers” and among the less fortunate. They ‘hustle’ in seeking favour from other people to meet their basic needs, hence the need to reactivate the monthly stipend. Why should our MPs, elected to represent the electorate, with elders above 70 years playing a critical role in their election, go silent on what matters for the people but so loud on selfish matters?

It is not right that Kenya can go up in flames when the politicians are not happy but nothing happens when it is about the common man.

To many elders, especially those whose families and relatives are not favoured financially, this year’s Christmas will not be good for them. While they and their dependents can only smell chapati across the fence, their representatives, MPs, fly out for the Christmas and New Year fete.

Mr Asava, a digital media communications practitioner, is a journalism and digital media student at KCA University. [email protected].