NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 23 – Lawmakers have thrown their weight behind the proposed Social Protection Bill, 2025, calling for increased cash allocations to vulnerable groups and greater transparency in the management of the welfare fund.
Amid rising inflation and a growing cost of living, MPs say the existing support mechanisms are both inadequate and susceptible to corruption.
The bill, sponsored by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, seeks to broaden the reach of Kenya’s social safety net to include those affected by extreme poverty and socio-economic shocks such as droughts and pandemics.
It proposes the establishment of a Social Protection Board that would oversee eligibility and disbursement of funds, while also offering an appeals mechanism for individuals who feel unfairly excluded.
While supporting the bill’s objectives, MPs across the political divide raised concerns about stagnant transfer amounts and systemic irregularities that continue to disenfranchise the vulnerable.
Suna West MP Peter Masara decried the failure to revise the cash transfer amount over time, despite drastic shifts in the economic landscape.
“In Kenya today, the vulnerable in society are benefitting, but at the time the programme started, they were being given Sh2,000. For some time now, the dollar has been at Sh160, but these people are still being given Sh2,000,” said Masara.
Endebess MP Robert Pukose praised the bill’s proposed appeal structure, saying it would provide recourse to those unfairly denied assistance and restore dignity to the elderly.
“You find that among those who are elderly, there’s somebody who is 70 who is getting the money and there’s somebody who is 75 who is not getting the money, and they have no way of appeal. This Bill creates an appeals mechanism for people to be able to appeal to the board. It also creates a board that will be able to be disbursing those funds,” he stated.
Samburu East MP Jackson Lekumontare raised alarm over corruption in the disbursement process, recounting extreme conditions imposed on recipients.
“There’s a lot of corruption even in this fund, that people are being told to give something so that you can get your money. And the government should have another way of identifying these people if the fingerprint fails, because people who have never taken alcohol are told to go and take alcohol so that their fingerprint can work,” he told the House.
North Imenti MP Rahim Dawood focused on accessibility, urging the government to devolve cash transfer services and address logistical barriers faced by rural communities.
“There’s no transparency in the number of people who are getting this money. And we need to know how to devolve this process. They cannot be told that a whole constituency comes to one place to collect the money. We need this board to streamline how these people are going to get the money,” said Dawood.
On matters of fairness, Nyatike MP Tom Odege called for a clear, automated enrollment system that ensures consistent access for all eligible individuals without political or administrative bias.
“Another area of concern which I want us to be very clear about, is the criteria of enrolment. If you are in your constituency today, you’ll find people who are over 70 and are not benefitting and they are questioning why their neighbors are benefitting and they are not listed. If we come up with a very clear criteria where when you attain a certain age and you are vulnerable, you are automatically listed. It will bring equity and fairness,” stated Odege.
Kwanza MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi issued a stern warning about accountability, alleging widespread diversion of funds by unscrupulous officials.
“From my own observation, this money that has been given to cash transfers is part of corruption in this country. Money is not being transferred properly. That money sometimes never reaches the people it’s supposed to reach,” he noted.
