The State Department for Social Protection has announced a major overhaul of the Inua Jamii cash transfer system, aimed at eliminating ghost beneficiaries and halting payments to deceased individuals.
The move follows revelations that funds have continued to be disbursed to people who died long ago, exposing loopholes in the programme’s verification process.
On Monday July 14, the department confirmed plans to integrate the Consolidated Cash Transfer Programme Management Information System (CCTP-MIS) with the Civil Registration Services (CRS) database. This integration will enable automatic identification and removal of deceased beneficiaries, particularly under the Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT) stream.
Inua Jamii currently supports over 1.76 million vulnerable Kenyans, including orphans, persons with disabilities, and poor households, through monthly stipends. The programme received Ksh47.8 billion in the financial year ending June.
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Past audits raised red flags over continued payments to deceased individuals, prompting Parliament to recommend physical headcounts every two months. Auditor General Nancy Gathungu confirmed that system flaws had allowed payments to persist
The department acknowledged that while some funds had been recovered, many deceased beneficiaries had not been formally exited due to ongoing upgrades to the payment module. “The enhancement will allow automatic removal of households whose funds have been clawed back,” the department stated.
Funds are typically held in accounts across six contracted banks before disbursement. However, unutilized balances from failed credit attempts or inactive accounts are often carried forward or returned to the National Treasury.
The department also cited cases where caregivers of persons with disabilities and vulnerable children reappeared to claim funds after changes in caregiver arrangements. These incidents have further underscored the need for a robust and responsive payment system.
By Masaki Enock
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