MP QUESTIONS INUA JAMII PAYMENT DISCREPANCIES

Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has highlighted concerns over irregularities in the distribution of Inua Jamii stipends to elderly and vulnerable groups.

Wamuchomba said some beneficiaries in her constituency had not received their funds since the government shifted from bank payments to mobile money transfers earlier this year.

“The stipends were allegedly sent via mobile money last week to our elderly and vulnerable people, and most didn’t receive them, yet they were receiving them previously,” she said.

She added that she had received lists of affected individuals from her constituency. “Depriving such needy groups is subscribing to a curse as a nation,” she said.

The Ministry of Labour announced earlier this month that Ksh4.6 billion had been released to cover payments for June and July, with each beneficiary expected to receive Ksh4,000.

Previously, the stipends were deposited into bank accounts and accessed using ATM cards. Under the new system, withdrawals are made at mobile money agents using identification cards.

Some beneficiaries say errors in their details have made it difficult to access the funds. “They are saying I was born in 1922, which is very surprising because I know I was born in 1942, and I used to withdraw my money using that ID since the beginning,” one said.

Another said: “Before, we were using ATM cards to get our money, and I still have the card. Then they switched and started asking us to use ID cards, and when I go to the agent, they tell me my age does not match, and I am 78.”

Critics of the new system have also pointed to potential fraud risks due to its reliance on local mobile money agents. The government has said the change was intended to make the programme more accessible in areas with limited banking services.