For the longest time, there have been intensified calls for human rights. Rights for the girl-child, the youth, gender inequality, climate change, and all that.

These calls have been intensified as individuals, organisations, and civic groups keep mounting pressure in an effort to see change that will positively impact the world.

And while these calls are critical, something is missing, and it seems that many people have forgotten a section of people who play a critical role in our society, the ageing population.

Rarely do we hear calls for the rights of the elderly. It’s like they are forgotten and forsaken, with some assuming that later years aren’t much to be valued.

In reality, elderly persons experience a myriad of challenges that make their lives miserable.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are approximately 1.1 billion senior citizens above the age of 60 years globally, and it’s projected that the number will rise to about 1.4 billion by 2033.

Therefore, protecting the rights of older adults, preventing their exploitation, abuse, and neglect is critical.

Elderly are abused

Here in Kenya, it has emerged that a good number of elderly people are having it rough, with most of their challenges leaning more towards some form of abuse.

“Over 80 per cent of older adults in parts of Kenya face abuse, with neglect, exploitation, and isolation being alarmingly common,” reveals a report by the CPF Foundation.

Matthew Gikonyo, 75 years old, reveals that one of the most prevalent challenges he, like many other elderly people, experiences is financial abuse in various forms.

He points out that in the age of technology, which has seen M-Pesa become the go-to money transfer platform in Kenya, they have become victims of fraud and con games.

Shockingly, they don’t just get conned by strangers; family members also steal from them.

“There have been several instances where people have stolen money from me. When I receive money on my phone, I usually ask those near me, especially my family, to withdraw on my behalf. But some of them give me incomplete money, and they pocket the rest,” he narrates.

Further, he says that several M-Pesa agents have also conned him in small and big amounts, depending on his balance, giving him excuses for increased transfer and withdrawal rates.

“The M-Pesa agents, especially the young men, often give me less money, claiming that the rates have gone up. I usually know my balances and even the rates. And when I challenge them, they become very rude and start abusing me, saying my memory has failed me,” he says.

Denied retirement benefits

As a result, he has become very cautious even with some of his family members and only allows a select few to handle his money.

68-year-old Grace Nyambura also suffers a unique set of financial challenges, which she deems an injustice to the elderly.

Nyambura says when she was employed in her heydays, she used to pay her dues to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

However, it has become a hurdle to access her retirement benefits from the scheme: a situation that hundreds of thousands of senior citizens in Kenya are facing.

“We have been going to the government offices to follow up on our pensions, but it’s like a cat-and-mouse chase. Every time we are told to come back another time, and even those who have gotten it, have not received the entire amount of money,” she says.

Nyambura notes that the situation, which has proven frustrating, poses a threat to their financial security in old age.

“When we were being deducted the money, some even voluntarily saving, we knew this fund was going to cover the rainy days ahead. We are now in those later years, and it’s like we have to fight to get our pension,” she states.

Ageism also seems to be prevalent, as most seniors often get discriminated against due to their age.

“One of the biggest challenges older people face is ageism. Ageism is basically discrimination based on age. You are discriminated against simply because you are an older person. The respect for older people has gone down, and they are left to their own fate,” says Maurice Omollow, CPF Foundation manager.

Omollow notes that Kenya’s elderly persons face neglect, property and asset dispossession, poor healthcare, loneliness, and old age poverty since they have no source of income.

69-year-old Michael Kanyingi, a certified Healthy Ageing Practitioner and currently the Founder of Mang’u Integrated Community Project (MICOP Kenya), decries that even as elderly people are rarely prioritised, the government has also failed to ensure the country promotes healthy ageing.

No health inclusivity

Kanyingi, who was the first person in Kenya to present issues of the old people at the UN-Habitat, points out that in the country, for instance, there are no age-friendly cities and communities.

He notes that the key features of age-friendly cities and communities are transport, housing, health care services and inclusive social activities that encourage older people to stay healthy and active.

However, Kenya is yet to get there.

“While there are 1,700 age-friendly cities in the world, there is none in Africa, hence the urgent need for Africa to wake up. We tried in Nairobi at some point when we tabled this issue. We even went as far as filling the forms, but nothing has been done yet,” says Kanyingi.

He denotes that while people with disability have been given priority, especially in public spaces, the elderly are still discriminated against, most especially when it comes to the transport sector.

“In some matatus, you find the operators putting on loud music, and when you complain, they tell you are old and in the wrong place. Nowadays, it is very rare to find someone standing up for an elderly person, unlike in the yesteryears. Things have changed and are no longer age-friendly,” he decries.

The energetic age-friendly enthusiast is now calling on relevant stakeholders to initiate collaborative efforts to create an age-friendly society, both in rural and urban areas.

“These challenges are the reason why older people insist on staying in the rural areas and avoid towns because the cities don’t favour them,” he says.

Further, he proposes that the matatu owners’ association should also consider having movable ranks by order of importance, whereby older persons are given just as much priority as the other vulnerable groups.

Old-age friendly cities

“We want the relevant stakeholders to help us upgrade our city and communities to be old-age-friendly. Old-age-friendly cities are not something out of the blue, it is a WHO initiative for healthy ageing,” emphasises Kanyingi.

Jane Gitau, a gerontologist (study of ageing), says there is a big gap in the country in understanding the ageing population, especially when it comes to being covered and insured.

“Having been in the insurance sector, I realised that the industry will be a bit risk-averse in protecting older people because they do not understand their specific needs; as such, they end up being left out in the sector and are left uncovered,” she says.

She notes that as a result of this, most families get affected because they do not know where they can get insured treatments, and hence are forced to dig deeper into their pockets, making healthcare for the elderly expensive and a burden.

She is now calling for reforms in the insurance sector to ensure older persons are covered and get holistic treatment packages.

Despite their wisdom and experience, older persons are evidently excluded from key services and face neglect and poverty.

As such, it is time to end age-based marginalisation.

To address these issues, Shakira Khawaja, the founder of Suqoon, an organisation that provides comprehensive social protection, support, and advocacy services for older persons across Kenya, insists that it’s time to set new standards of dignity for the elderly.

As such, her organisation has mobilised partners to adopt and uplift shelters for the elderly and has also partnered with Nairobi County.

Additionally, she reveals that they are working on a bill that fights for the elderly, noting that it will strengthen systems that serve their needs.

“Let’s engage in conversations around older persons by creating inclusive spaces that support healthy ageing and address the challenges they face in society,” says Khawaja in conclusion.