Kenya is facing a significant gap in social protection for its older population, with a 10-year disparity between the constitutional definition of old age and the government's cash transfer program. The Constitution defines an older person as someone who has attained 60 years, while the main government cash transfer, the Older Persons Cash Transfer (OP-CT), starts at 70. This gap is expected to become more pressing as Kenya's population aged 60 and above is projected to more than double, from 2.9 million people in 2024 to 6.4 million by 2045.
The social enterprise Suqoon, which works with older people on health, independence, and community support, is calling on the government to close this gap before more Kenyans reach old age without adequate protection. Suqoon's founder, Shakira Khawaja, made the call during the Fourth Kenya Social Protection Conference, emphasizing that longer lives should be matched by systems that help people remain healthy, independent, and economically active. Khawaja argued that the current system leaves older people without access to the program despite the constitutional definition.
The Older Persons Cash Transfer (OP-CT), part of the Inua Jamii program, covers people aged 70 and above. However, a 2024 National Assembly debate called for the government to consider lowering the eligibility age for Inua Jamii from 70 to 60, aligning it with the constitutional definition of an older person. The debate comes as Kenya expands its wider social protection system, including a commitment to establishing and capitalizing a Social Protection Fund, making benefit indexation predictable, and expanding coverage to 2.5 million households.
The World Bank has approved a $127.5 million project to strengthen Kenya's social protection system and expand safety-net support to 12 million people, including older people and other vulnerable groups. However, the World Bank has also warned that Kenya's safety-net coverage remains below the level needed to reach all households living in poverty, while the real value of some benefits has declined. This has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the current social protection system in addressing the needs of older people.
Khawaja emphasized that social protection should address health risks that can push older people into dependence and place pressure on families. She cited examples of older people who have fallen at home, resulting in hospitalization and loss of mobility, sometimes forcing relatives to leave work to provide care. Khawaja also called for the Older Persons Bill, 2024, to move to Parliament, which seeks to strengthen protections for older people, including safeguards against abuse and provisions relating to their care and welfare.
The ageing trend is expected to put more pressure on social protection and family-based care, with KNBS projecting the population aged 60 and above will rise to 3.4 million by 2030, 4.2 million by 2035, and 5.2 million by 2040 before reaching 6.4 million in 2045. Older people involved in community activities in Nairobi's Mathare and Embakasi emphasized the importance of social connections alongside financial support, highlighting the need for intergenerational conversations and understanding.
Community activities can help older people remain connected, as shared by 64-year-old Ann Wanjiru Mbuthia, organizing secretary at Mathare Older Persons Network, and 65-year-old Peter Oyugi from Embakasi. They emphasized that social connections and community support are essential for older people, enabling them to feel part of the community and interact with others.
Key points
- The Kenyan government faces a 10-year gap in social protection for older people.
- The population aged 60 and above is projected to more than double by 2045.
- There are calls to lower the eligibility age for the Older Persons Cash Transfer from 70 to 60.
