Interior Ministry Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho has revealed that the government is providing a weekly stipend of Ksh.1,000 to vulnerable households in the country to cushion them from effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr. Kibicho says the government has identified 108,000 households in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi Counties and who have since received the money following the roll out of the programme.
Speaking in an interview on Inooro FM, the Interior PS said during the first disbursement, each of the 108,000 households received Ksh.2,000 and the amount is expected to feed them for a two-week period.
“That money (Ksh.2,000) was for two weeks. We shall be giving them one thousand shillings every week,” he said, adding that the money is being distributed through M-Pesa.
The PS said the first phase of the programme was being implemented in the counties where a cessation of movement has been imposed, adding that it will be expanded to other areas across the country.
“We are expanding to other urban areas Thika, Kiandutu, Kiambu, Kakamega, Eldoret, Kisumu and others,” said Kibicho.
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He further explained that the vulnerable individuals had been identified by a multi-agency team comprised of officers from the Ministries of State department for Social Services, Health and Interior Ministries.
“So far we have not received reports on anyone who has received this money and is not supposed to receive the it,” he said.
The PS noted that any household that was registered to receive the money and is yet to receive is a case of a mismatch between the names on the ID and M-Pesa details.
“If your ID and M-Pesa details don’t match you will not receive that money which is from the Government of Kenya,” said Kibicho.
He said the money being given to the vulnerable groups was supposed to buy relief food, but the government opted to give it out in form of cash to allow families choose what food they want to buy with the money.
The announcement on the weekly stipend was announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta on April 16, 2020.
“We have identified needy households in Nairobi that will be the inaugural recipients of the weekly COVID-19 support stipend. The piloting of the programme started yesterday and some of the beneficiaries have received their stipends,” said the President.