A county-wide verification and registration exercise under the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme is bringing renewed hope to Turkana’s most vulnerable residents, with officials targeting older persons aged 70 and above and other eligible groups.
The Inua Jamii programme is a government social protection initiative that provides monthly financial support to vulnerable Kenyans to improve their welfare and quality of life.
At a registration centre at Tiya Village, Loima Sub-County, elder James Akure welcomed the government’s decision to take the exercise closer to communities.
“We are very happy the government has brought this registration to our doorstep. Many elderly people who missed earlier registration have suffered for years without support. We hope everyone who qualifies will now be included,” Mzee Akure said.
Christina Teko, a person living with a disability from Kolioro, said she missed both the Inua Jamii registration five years ago and the second phase of the Hunger Safety Net Programme because she could not travel to the centres and had no assistance.
She urged the government and partners to improve access in remote areas by deploying Safaricom agents during the exercise to help elderly people and persons with disabilities register and replace SIM cards.
“Many of us cannot complete registration because we don’t have registered Safaricom lines, yet that is now required to receive payments,” Teko said.
Turkana Central Sub-County Coordinator for Social Services, Shadrack Okumu Oringa, said the programme continues to transform lives, especially for citizens aged 70 and above who need ongoing care and support.
He confirmed the current verification and registration exercise runs from June 25 to July 6, 2026, and urged all eligible elderly persons to register before the deadline.
Oringa said beneficiaries now receive their KSh 2,000 monthly stipend directly to their mobile phones, eliminating the cost and long travel previously required to access banks.
The coordinator emphasized that registration is a right for all eligible elderly persons. He advised applicants to visit their nearest Department of Social Services office or area Chief’s office with a national identification card ID and a Safaricom line registered in their name. Caregivers must also present their ID and registered number when applying on behalf of a beneficiary.
Oringa warned against multiple registrations, saying duplicates risk automatic disqualification from the system.
The exercise is being rolled out across all sub-counties in Turkana to ensure no eligible senior citizen is left out.
Residents have welcomed the outreach, saying it will help enroll more deserving elderly persons and other vulnerable groups into the social protection programme.
