The Ministry of Labour has launched a mandatory biometric verification exercise for beneficiaries of the Inua Jamii Programme.
In a statement on Wednesday, May 13, Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs Principal Secretary Joseph Motari said the exercise, which was officially launched in Ilbisil, Kajiado Central Sub-County, will target beneficiaries under the Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT) programme as well as caregivers under the Persons with Severe Disabilities Cash Transfer (PWSD-CT) programme.
"The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, through the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs, has today officially launched the Proof of Life exercise for Inua Jamii beneficiaries in Ilbisil, Kajiado Central Sub-County," the statement read.
Motari said the initiative will involve the collection of biometric details from beneficiaries and caregivers to improve accountability and ensure only eligible individuals continue receiving support.
"The Government is introducing biometric registration, including fingerprint and facial capture, for beneficiaries under the Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT) programme and caregivers under the Persons with Severe Disabilities Cash Transfer (PWSD-CT) programme," the statement added.
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Motari further explained the purpose of the nationwide verification exercise, which is expected to begin in June and run until the end of July 2026.
"The exercise aims to confirm that beneficiaries and caregivers enrolled in the Inua Jamii Programme are alive and present, in order to continue receiving programme benefits," the statement continued.
The State Department directed all targeted beneficiaries and caregivers to personally appear at designated centres during the exercise period.
"All OPCT beneficiaries and PWSD-CT caregivers must physically present themselves at designated biometric capture centres with their original National Identity Cards. The specific locations and dates will be communicated by Social Development Officers," the statement further read.
The government also emphasized that participation in the exercise will be compulsory for continued access to the cash transfer programme.
"The exercise is free of charge and mandatory for all OPCT beneficiaries and PWSD-CT caregivers in order to continue receiving Inua Jamii benefits," the statement concluded.
This comes over a year after the Ministry of Labour clarified that elderly Kenyans who receive any form of government pension are not eligible for the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme.
In a statement dated Monday, January 24, 2025, the ministry noted that there was misinformation regarding some government retirees who were not receiving pensions.
In response, the ministry clarified that the programme targeted elderly Kenyans above 70 years - who were not part of any government pension.
The ministry added that other groups eligible for the Ksh2,000 cash transfer were families with orphans and vulnerable children.
Households taking care of people with severe disabilities were also eligible for the money transfer.
Meanwhile, it was explained that the money transfers were moved to the MPesa platform to enable beneficiaries to access the services easily.
Previously, the money was transferred through the banks where they would be required to travel to withdraw the money.
"The government has adopted M-PESA as the primary mode of disbursing funds under the Inua Jamii Programme to improve efficiency, accessibility, and security. Beneficiaries who do not have an active MPesa line are encouraged to register at any Safaricom or MPesa agent countrywide.
"This eliminates the need for beneficiaries to travel long distances for SIM card registration, as inaccurately reported in the article," read the statement in part.
