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"content": "The National Safety Net Programmes includes cash transfers to orphans, vulnerable children, persons with severe disabilities and old persons together with Urban Foods Subsidy Cash Transfer programme with a total goal of alleviating the state of poverty in which approximately half of Kenyans exist. There are approximately 1.4 million persons over the age of 65 years in the country and they are disproportionately susceptible to the devastating effects of poverty due to their disadvantaged position in society. Therefore, the cash transfer provides regular and predictable cash to such vulnerable persons to ensure that there are at least segments of the population able to meet their basic needs and live with dignity. In response to Sen. Musila’s inquiry, as of 2014/2015 Financial Year, there are 210,00 beneficiaries already receiving older persons cash transfers in Kenya. This is a significant increase from 164,000 beneficiaries in 2013/2014 Financial Year and a monumental increase from a mere 200 beneficiaries when the programme was launched in 2007/2008 Financial Year. I have provided the entire list detailing the number of recipients of the cash transfer of each county to my colleague Sen. Musila. As of August 2014, Kakamega, Kiambu and Nairobi counties had the most beneficiaries with over 7,000, while isiolo, Lamu and Tana River were among the counties with the least beneficiaries with just 1,000. The allocation of funds is based on a targeting process whereby 30 per cent of the potential beneficiaries are distributed equally in 290 constituencies, while 70 per cent is distributed on the basis of poverty indexes from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Report. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to emphasis that the cash transfers to older persons does not cover every senior citizens in the county. The beneficiaries are determined based on specific criteria. This criteria is:- (1) A person who is over 65 years of age and above among the poor of the poor (2) A person who is not a pensioner, (3) A person who is a resident of a targeted area for a minimum of 12 months (4) A person who is not registered in any other cash transfer programme, namely the cash transfer to orphans and vulnerable children, persons with severe disabilities or urban food subsidy cash transfer programmes. According to the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services, the total number of beneficiaries of the older persons cash transfer programme in Kitui County right now stands at 4,407."
}