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The Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP) will get additional funds by at least 31.7 per cent.

According to the Economic Survey 2023 report, the programme is to receive an allocation of Sh5.4 billion this financial year, up from Sh4.1 billion in 2021/22 period.

“The amount disbursed is expected to increase by 42.6 per cent from Sh3.2 billion to Sh4.6 billion during the same period. The number of beneficiary households is expected to increase by 17.8 per cent from 176,044 in 2021/22 to 207,395 in 2022/23. Female recipients are expected to decrease by 607 to 121,163 in 2022/23,” the report states.

For cash transfer to Persons with Severe Disabilities, the amount disbursed is expected to increase by 4.3 per cent from Sh864.5 million in 2021/22 to Sh901.3 million this financial year.

The total number of caregivers in this category is expected to increase from 37,023 in 2021/22 to 37,553 in 2022/23. For orphans and vulnerable children, the survey has shown that the amount of funds disbursed is expected to increase by 0.1 per cent to Sh6.7 billion in 2022/23 but the number of beneficiary households is expected to decrease by 757 from 278,945 in 2021/22 to 278,188 in 2022/23.

Cash transfers

“The number of women and men caregivers is expected to decrease by 673 and 84 to 221,556 and 56,632, respectively, during the period under review,” it states.

On the other hand, the amount disbursed for the Older Person Cash Transfers (OPCT) programme will decline from Sh18.2 billion in 2021/22 to Sh18 billion in 2022/23.

There will also be a slight reduction in the number of beneficiaries under this programme by 450 from 756,935 in 2021/22 to 756,485 in 2022/23.

At the same time, the number of new registered employers in the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) declined by 62.7 per cent to 12,004 in 2022 from 35,252 in 2021.

Similarly, the number of newly registered employees increased by 71.9 per cent from 269,064 in 2021 to 462,515 in 2022. “Newly registered male and female employees increased by 64.9 per cent and 81 per cent respectively in 2022.