Irungu Nyakera slams govt’s Ksh4B Nyumba Kumi stipend plan
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, May 14, 2026Nairobi County Democracy for the Citizens’ Party (DCP) patron Irungu Nyakera has criticised the Ksh4B Nyumba Kumi Stipend Plan, describing it as political.
Taking it to his X account on Thursday, May 14, 2026, Irungu has said that the proposed funding of 110,000 Nyumba Kumi elders for Ksh4 billion annually is a politically motivated idea ahead of the general elections and comes at a time the country is facing severe financial constraints
“When the country is struggling to manage its debt and adequately fund development, a plan to spend nearly Ksh 4 billion annually on stipends for 110,000 Nyumba Kumi elders looks less like a security initiative and more like an election mobilisation strategy,” Nyakera said.
Nyakera stated that the programme, which he says is designed to improve security, has the potential to turn into a political mobilisation programme instead of a long-term community policing tool. He said the prevailing economic landscape in Kenya requires a strict prioritisation of expenditure on sectors which have development objectives.
“Our real priorities today should be reducing recurrent expenditure and investing in jobs, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic growth,” Nyakera added.
The former principal secretary emphasised that Kenya is still struggling with high public debt, a high recurrent expenditure bill and the lack of fiscal space for investments in jobs, health care, infrastructure and overall economic development.
He also urged a rethinking of the priorities of government spending, from expanding the stipend programmes to investments that will directly trigger productivity growth and enhance living standards.
Nyumba Kumi facilitation
Ministry of Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has announced that the government plans to introduce a monthly stipend of Ksh3,000 for village elders across the country, in a move aimed at strengthening grassroots administration and improving community-level governance.
Speaking on the initiative, Omollo said the programme is designed to formally recognise the role village elders play in supporting government operations, particularly in intelligence gathering, dispute resolution, and coordination of local administrative functions.
“The has proposed a Ksh3,000 monthly stipend for about 110,000 village elders across Kenya, with the rollout set to begin in the upcoming financial year,” Omollo said.
According to the Interior Ministry, the stipend is expected to enhance efficiency within the national administration framework by motivating elders who act as the first point of contact between citizens and government officials.