An Assessment of the Performance of Social Protection Program for the Elderly Persons

Abstract

The conventional social protection scheme in Kenya presupposes that children will automatically undertake the duty of providing care for their aged parents. But due to a number of factors like lack of gainful employment, migration, urbanization and breakdown of the extended family, the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic among other reasons the children do not take up the responsibility of caring for their ageing parents as expected by society. Thus, the elderly is left to take care of themselves, receive no money for upkeep from their children, and are left struggling on their own. In addition, these elderly persons have been forced to take up the burden of looking after their mature children, grandchildren and relatives due to the aforementioned reasons and worsening financial situation in the nation.  The purpose of this paper is to document the performance of the Social Protection Program for the old persons.  Data was collected from the 11 officers employed at the Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Services and the 384 beneficiaries.  Through the old person cash transfer program, the elderly persons who are beneficiaries of the program have been economically as well as socially empowered and gained some form of social protection. If the social protection interventions are well executed it will steer the country towards the realization of Agenda 2030.  Additionally, the Government should strive to obtain more finances for the Social Protection Program for the aged to make it all inclusive in order to entitle all old persons in Kenya to be part of the program. Training and sensitization of the aged is paramount so that they are enlightened about the program and can be part and parcel of it.