The government has made a groundbreaking decision to move all Inua Jamii payments to the M-Pesa platform, ensuring greater convenience for millions of beneficiaries. Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs Principal Secretary Joseph Motari announced this change on Thursday, outlining how the new system will work and its expected benefits.
Accessing Funds Through M-Pesa
According to PS Motari, Inua Jamii beneficiaries can now access their stipends through M-Pesa agents by dialing the USSD code *222#. This shift is part of a collaboration between eCitizen, the government’s portal for state services, and Safaricom, the company behind M-Pesa.
“All beneficiaries are required to have registered Safaricom lines that match their ID cards and must activate their M-Pesa accounts to receive their funds,” explained Motari.
For those already using Safaricom, the process is simple: they only need to ensure that their M-Pesa accounts are active. Meanwhile, individuals not registered on M-Pesa are advised to sign up to access their funds seamlessly.
Support for Beneficiaries
The government has set up multiple support channels to assist beneficiaries in navigating this transition. Beneficiaries can visit County or Sub-County Social Development Offices, County Children Services Offices, or County Disability Offices for help. Additionally, they can call the toll-free Inua Jamii helpline at 1533 for guidance.
About the Inua Jamii Program
The Inua Jamii program is a vital government initiative that provides monthly financial support to over 1.7 million vulnerable Kenyans. Beneficiaries include orphans, vulnerable children, persons aged over 70, and individuals with severe disabilities.
This program plays a critical role in alleviating poverty and hunger among the most vulnerable segments of the population.
Why the Move to M-Pesa?
President William Ruto highlighted that transitioning to M-Pesa payments is designed to enhance efficiency and reduce the burden on beneficiaries. “This move eliminates the need for long-distance travel to collect stipends, saving costs and ensuring convenience,” Ruto noted in an earlier address.
Previously, only orphans and caregivers of persons with severe disabilities received their payments via M-Pesa. Elderly beneficiaries had to visit banks to collect their stipends, a process often riddled with challenges.
With this new arrangement, all beneficiaries will receive their payments directly to their M-Pesa accounts.
Recent Disbursement
In December, the government disbursed Ksh.3.517 billion, with each of the 1,758,735 beneficiaries receiving Ksh.2,000. Moving forward, the integration with M-Pesa is expected to streamline the process further, ensuring timely and secure delivery of funds.
A Milestone in Social Protection
The transition to M-Pesa marks a significant milestone in leveraging technology to enhance social protection in Kenya. By adopting this digital payment system, the government is ensuring that no beneficiary is left behind while making the process more transparent and efficient.
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