Nairobi, February 24, 2025 – The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, through its State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs, has issued a strong rebuttal to a front-page story published by the Daily Nation newspaper today, titled “Retirees Bear Brunt of Ruto M-Pesa Rule.”
The ministry’s press release, issued in response, accuses the article of disseminating “misleading” information about the government’s Inua Jamii cash transfer programme.
The Daily Nation report suggested that retirees and other beneficiaries were being excluded from the Inua Jamii Programme due to a directive requiring all disbursements to be processed through mobile wallets, specifically M-Pesa.
It highlighted potential hardships for senior citizens, including those with national identity numbers deemed “too old” or with seven-digit IDs, implying significant barriers to accessing funds.
However, the ministry, led by Principal Secretary Joseph M. Motari, CBS, categorically refuted these claims, stating that the newspaper’s assertions were erroneous.
In its clarification, the ministry outlined the programme’s eligibility criteria, which include older persons aged 70 and above who are not receiving government pensions, households with orphans and vulnerable children, and those caring for individuals with severe disabilities.
It emphasized that individuals receiving government pensions are not eligible for the Inua Jamii cash transfers, directly contradicting the Daily Nation’s narrative of retirees being unfairly impacted.
The ministry defended the shift to M-Pesa as a strategic move to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and security for beneficiaries.
It noted that those without an active M-Pesa line can easily register at any Safaricom or M-PESA agent nationwide, dismissing the article’s suggestion that beneficiaries must travel long distances for SIM registration.
“This transition ensures that beneficiaries can conveniently access their funds from the comfort of their homes or at the nearest M-PESA agent,” the press release stated.
Highlighting the programme’s recent success, the ministry reported that on February 13, 2025, it disbursed Ksh 3.52 billion to 1,760,079 households, with 1.5 million beneficiaries accessing their funds through the eCitizen M-PESA system within a week.
The statement underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring all eligible beneficiaries receive their entitlements promptly and efficiently, regardless of whether their national ID numbers have seven or eight digits.
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