By the NGOs.ke Editorial Team
The Inua Jamii cash transfer pays Ksh 2,000 per beneficiary to older persons aged 70 and above and to persons living with severe disability. In the April 2026 cycle, the government reported paying 1,213,066 people a combined Ksh 2,426,132,000, with payments starting on 30 April 2026. For NGOs working on poverty and ageing, the programme is the largest public safety net they will meet in the field, so knowing what it does and does not cover matters.
Inua Jamii at a glance
- Payment: Ksh 2,000 per beneficiary for the April 2026 cycle (People Daily, 30 April 2026).
- Beneficiaries in that cycle: 1,213,066 older persons and persons with severe disability.
- Total released: Ksh 2,426,132,000, which matches 1,213,066 multiplied by Ksh 2,000.
- Who runs it: the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs, under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
- Cumulative scale: the State Department’s own site cites cash payments to over 1 million beneficiaries totalling Kes 201.8 billion (the page is undated).
Who receives Inua Jamii payments?
The April 2026 disbursement statement named two groups: older persons aged 70 and above, and persons living with severe disability. The State Department also lists orphans and vulnerable children among the groups its Directorate of Social Assistance pays cash transfers to, but the April 2026 report did not mention them in that cycle. If your programme works with child-headed households, confirm the current position with the State Department rather than assuming either way.
Has the amount changed?
Not by the figures we could check. A July 2021 report on an Sh 8.7 billion disbursement described Sh 8,000 for four months, March to June 2021, to more than one million beneficiaries. Spread over four months, that is Sh 2,000 a month, the same level as the April 2026 cycle. Five years of price rises have therefore been absorbed by recipients, which is a useful fact when you design top-up support.
What is the government doing about ghost beneficiaries?
In July 2025, People Daily reported that the government was linking the Inua Jamii database to civil registration records to remove ghost beneficiaries and stop payments to deceased people. For field teams the practical lesson is straightforward: a recipient whose name, ID or birth details do not match the civil record can be flagged. Helping older people sort out documents is a real service, and one that few programmes budget for.
Where do NGOs fit in?
Inua Jamii is a government programme, and NGOs do not enrol people or release payments. Where they add value is around the edges:
- Document support. Helping older persons and carers obtain or correct IDs and civil records so that database checks do not stall a payment.
- Information. Telling communities which payment cycle is current, so rumours about payment dates do not spread. Always send people to official channels for their own status.
- Complementary support. Ksh 2,000 does not cover rent, food and medicine together. Nutrition, health-cost and livelihood support for households in the programme fills real gaps. See our guide to poverty alleviation NGOs in Kenya for models that work.
- Inclusion. Making sure persons with severe disability are not missed. Our disability inclusion guide covers the legal duties involved.
- Safeguarding. Older recipients are targets for fraud and pressure around payment day. Staff should know how to respond; our older persons guide is a starting point.
What we could not confirm
The pages reviewed for this article did not publish step-by-step enrolment rules, required documents, a complaints channel or the payment channel used. We are not going to guess. For those details, go to the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs at socialprotection.go.ke or your county social development office, and check dates before telling beneficiaries anything.
FAQ
How much is Inua Jamii in 2026?
The April 2026 cycle was Ksh 2,000 per beneficiary, paid to 1,213,066 older persons and persons with severe disability.
Who qualifies for Inua Jamii?
The April 2026 statement named older persons aged 70 and above and persons living with severe disability. Check with the State Department for current rules on other groups.
Can an NGO register someone for Inua Jamii?
The sources we reviewed do not describe an NGO enrolment route. NGOs can help with documents and information, but enrolment decisions rest with the government.
What is the government doing about ghost beneficiaries?
In July 2025 it was reported to be linking the database to civil registration records to catch deceased and ghost beneficiaries.
Where can I find official information?
Start with the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs website, socialprotection.go.ke.
Figures are from People Daily reports of 30 April 2026, 7 July 2021 and 14 July 2025, and the State Department’s website, as reviewed in October 2026.
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