Government extends deadline for Inua Jamii cash withdrawals until March 15

The government has extended the deadline for beneficiaries of the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme to withdraw their stipends, giving them five more days to access any uncollected funds.

Initially set for March 10, the new deadline is now March 15.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection on Wednesday stated that after this date, any unclaimed money will be reclaimed.

Principal Secretary for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs Joseph Motari urged beneficiaries to collect their funds before the extension expires.

“Those who have not claimed their Inua Jamii funds have five more days to do so. If they do not claim by the 15th of this month, we will assume that the person does not exist,” Motari said in an interview with KBC.

The extension follows the government’s decision to shift Inua Jamii payments from banks to the e-Citizen mobile payment platform in January 2025.

The transition allows beneficiaries to receive their stipends directly via M-Pesa, a move aimed at improving efficiency and accountability.

Motari revealed that the government had streamlined the cash transfer system after identifying irregularities in the programme.

A probe by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) found that payments had been made to 194,000 deceased beneficiaries.

The government has since removed these names from the system and cleared arrears amounting to Sh16.7 billion in two phases.

“With support from the President, I submitted a Cabinet memo that was approved for monthly payments, and this is the system we have been following to date,” Motari stated.

The Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs currently runs three major cash transfer programmes: Persons with Severe Disabilities (PWSD-CT), Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC), and Older Persons (OP-CT).

So far, the Inua Jamii programme has reached 1.76 million beneficiaries, with plans to expand the coverage to 2.5 million by 2027.

PS Motari reassured senior citizens who have yet to transition to M-Pesa payments that their funds would remain secure for the next three months.