The Government’s is commited to invest more resources to develop the social protection system with a view to cushioning Kenya’s most needy and vulnerable populations, the Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary, Prof Margaret Kobia has said.

The Cabinet Secretary said the Government was working with partners to ensure the social safety nets address the all needs faced by various population groups in the most fair way.

‘‘It is a priority that features prominently in our national aspirations, and which as government, we shall continue advancing,” Prof Kobia said during a breakfast donor event on the Joint SDG Fund Kenya Programme for Social Protection held at the Hilton hotel on January 25, 2022. 

“Social protection is a necessary component of our development plan. Its role is evident and has been critical in addressing challenges related to chronic vulnerability, such as COVID-19 pandemic,’’ she added.

Started two years ago, the Joint SDG Fund for Social Protection in Kenya has played a key role in acceleration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) despite the COVID-19 disruptions.

The donor event was meant to take stock of the collective achievements of the project since its inception in July 2020.

A progress report presented by Head of Kenya’s Social Protection Secretariat Cecilia Mbaka showed that the programme had cushioned affected households from socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19, and laid a basis for income security for households with young children.

The project’s contribution to SDG 2 on zero hunger had also recorded an improvement in food and nutrition security of households who lost their livelihood due to COVID-19 and desert locust invasion.  

Mrs Mbaka saidthe joint project contributed to an advancement of discussions on social security benefits in areas of occupational injury and illness compensation mechanisms, unemployment benefit and maternity benefits.

Prof Kobia underscored the need for more funding for the cash transfer programs so that the Ministry can enroll more people in cash transfer programmes.

So far, 2.2 million households currently receive regular cash transfers through five national cash transfer programmes, she said.

Emphasizing on the Government’s commitment to social protection, Social Protection, Senior Citizens Affairs and Special Programmes Principal Secretary Nelson Marwa said the Ministry last week released Sh8.95 Billion for cash transfers to social protection beneficiaries.

“We are forever keen to ensure all needy and vulnerable Kenyans are allowed to live dignified lives,” he said.

Participants at the event included UN agencies (FAO, ILO, UNICEF, WFP and UN Resident Coordinators Office), and Government ministries and departments including Labour, NSSF, NHIF and Federation of Kenya Employers.

The participants called on public-private partnerships to advance the social protection agenda in the country.

‘‘We need to identify those in the private sector that we can work with in social protection initiatives,’’ noted Ms Mbaka.

Kenya is one of 38 countries that has benefitted from the SDG Fund, receiving a USD 2 million grant channeled through the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), seeking to catalyse existing collaboration between the UN and the Government of Kenya for the most vulnerable in Kenya.

The SDG Fund was established through the collective efforts of 12 progressive donors: Denmark, the European Union, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. 

The joint project seeks to strategically contribute towards the realisation of the country’ Big Four Agenda and Kenya’s Vision 2030.

It supports the Government of Kenya to move from a poverty-targeted approach, which excludes 78% of the vulnerable population to a more inclusive approach to social protection.