kenya:Inua Jamii beneficiaries to get cash via banks

The government is preparing to roll out a new Inua Jamii payment model to 9,553 beneficiaries of the National Safety Net Programme in Marsabit to enhance efficiency.

The new arrangement known as ‘Choice Model’ will be through banking, as the current card-based system is being phased out.

Marsabit county coordinator for Children Services Simon Ogao told a steering committee meeting at the county commissioner’s office that the new model involves the opening of bank accounts for the beneficiaries with their preferred banking institutions.

Ogao said the current beneficiaries from the orphans and vulnerable children (CT-OVC), older persons cash transfer (OPTC) and persons with severe disabilities (PWSD) programmes would be required to present themselves before the enrolling teams between December 18 and 22 at the various mobilisation centres across the county.

He , however, said no new beneficiaries will be registered.

“This exercise excludes those aged 70 and above because they are already enjoying the account-based model,” he said.

The coordinator said the beneficiaries will be free to select a bank of their choice from the four contracted by the government , which are Equity, KCB, Cooperative and Post Bank.

The mobilising teams that comprise of officials from the payment service providers contracted banks and those from the ministry of labour and social protection are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the target beneficiaries have no prior Inua Jamii accounts for other SNPs.

The exercise which aims at making the cash transfer stipends through ATMs and mobile money will also clean up any malpractices in the programme.

SOURCE:THE STAR