Kenya’s jobless could receive monthly cash, food and care

The government will be mandated to provide food and home-based care and give a monthly stipend to Kenyans who have lost jobs due to shocks if new proposals to change the law sail through.

These are among the recommendations by the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs to widen the country’s safety net program.

Through amendments to the National Assembly Social Protection Bill of 2025, the state is pushing for a change to also allow Kenyans who have never contributed to the social protection kitty to become beneficiaries.

The proposed changes mirror Raila Odinga’s campaign plan that had sought to introduce Sh6,000 stipends to Kenyans without jobs.

The current proposal, introduced to the National Assembly by the Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, envisions a state-backed stipend to help affected workers.

“The principal object of the bill is to reduce poverty and vulnerability and improve the well-being of people by providing assistance, services, and programs that build human capital and cushion people against risks and contingencies throughout their cycles,” Ichung’wah said in the bill’s explainer.

In the proposed law, cash transfers to the needy will now be subjected to periodical adjustments for inflation if Parliament approves the proposal to cushion the beneficiaries against the erosion of the real value of their social protection benefits and safeguard their well-being.

The National Assembly Committee on Social Protection, which oversees the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, has previously acknowledged the shrinking value of the Sh2000 sent to the beneficiaries. It said that reviewing the stipend upwards is one of its key considerations.

However, the viability of the plan is in question as the country continues to face severe economic shocks that have left thousands jobless.

The monthly stipend, similar to that provided to vulnerable groups, will offer much-needed financial support to those facing joblessness during periods of mass layoffs.

Already, the government is struggling to honour its obligations to the 1,758,735 individuals enrolled in the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer payments program.

Kenya’s social welfare spending is already substantial, with the country allocating approximately Sh31.3 billion to social protection and affirmative action programs in the financial year ending in June.

At the heart of the bill is the creation of a National Board for Social Protection, a central body tasked with overseeing the implementation of social assistance programs and ensuring a coordinated approach across government agencies and stakeholders.

The board will also play a key role in designing policies, mobilising resources, and monitoring the effectiveness of interventions targeted at the most disadvantaged.

It will also manage the beneficiaries and monitor their status through national registries.

Through the bill, the government has expanded the scope of individuals eligible for social protection benefits, arguing that it includes the most vulnerable members of society.

 According to the latest provisions, the category of persons in need will now encompass orphans, vulnerable children, poor older members of society, persons with disabilities, individuals living in extreme poverty, and those affected by economic or environmental shocks.

Under the new measures, the Social Protection Board will be mandated to provide a comprehensive range of benefits to support these groups.

This board will be responsible for ensuring that eligible individuals receive timely support, either in the form of cash transfers or other types of aid.

Besides cash transfers, the bill proposes additional forms of assistance, such as social care services.

Additionally, a suite of social care services will be offered, covering rehabilitation services, psychosocial support, and respite care for those requiring temporary relief.

These steps are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the social safety net and ensure no one is left behind in times of need.

“This bill seeks to address existing gaps in the social protection sector, make provision for non-contributory social protection, and mitigate economic and social vulnerabilities to poverty, risks, contingencies, and shocks experienced throughout the life cycle of a person,” said Social Protection Principal Secretary Joseph Motari in submissions to parliament.

The plan marks a shift from an earlier proposal by the previous administration to create an unemployment insurance fund (UIF) where both employers and workers would contribute a percentage of their salaries to create a reserve fund for job loss relief.

However, the UIF was quietly abandoned, and the current government seeks to provide direct support from the national budget.

According to proponents of the bill, if passed, it would offer much-needed financial relief to individuals who find themselves without work following unexpected economic or environmental crises.

Labour CS Alfred Mutua stated on February 13 that the government had disbursed Sh3.5 billion to Sh1.7 million households under the Inua Jamii Programme following public uproar.