Principal Secretary for Social Protection Joseph M Motari during a press conference in Nairobi.

Labour Ministry has denied claims in a section of media stating retirees have been locked out of the Inua Jamii programmes due to a directive requiring all disbursement to be processed through mobile wallets.

Labour and Protection Principal Secretary Joseph Motari on Monday termed the claim as "misleading”.

"The Ministry wishes to categorically refute these claims and state that the Inua Jamii programme is a government-led cash transfer initiative that provides financial support to older persons aged 70 years and above who are not beneficiaries of any government pensions or any government pension scheme and must possess a valid Kenyan national ID,” Motari said.

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He said eligible households are orphans, vulnerable children and households caring for persons with severe disabilities.

The PS said contrary to the assertions made in a local media report, individuals receiving any form of government pension are not eligible for the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme.

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He said the government adopted MPesa as the primary mode of disbursing funds under the Inua Jamii Programme to improve efficiency, accessibility and security.

The PS said beneficiaries who do not have an active MPesa line are encouraged to register at any safaricom or MPesa agent countrywide.

He said this eliminates the need for beneficiaries to travel long distances for SIM card registration, as inaccurately reported in the article.

"Under the previous bank payment system, beneficiaries were required to physically present themselves at bank branches and agents which was very expensive and inconvenient," Motari said.

He said the shift to mobile wallet disbursement ensures that beneficiaries can conveniently access their funds from the comfort of their homes or at the nearest MPesa agent significantly improving service delivery.

"On Tuesday, February 13, 2025, the government successfully disbursed Sh3.52 billion to 1, 760 079 households under the Inua Jamii Programme. Within one week, 1.5 million beneficiaries have already accessed their funds through the eCitizen Mpesa system," Motari said.

The PS said this transition marks a major milestone in enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of government cash transfer programs.