Kakamega County to Disburse 50 Million in Social Protection Grants

Under the leadership of Governor Fernandes Barasa, the Kakamega County Government is planning to spend approximately 50 million shillings through the Ministry of Social Services, Youths, Sports, Gender, and Culture. These funds will be allocated to social protection grants for the youth, mothers, and people with disabilities within the county.

The project will provide grants to nine hundred groups consisting of mothers, youths, and persons with disabilities across different sub-counties. Each group will receive fifty thousand shillings to implement self-sustaining projects and enhance their well-being.

Speaking at the official launch of the program at Musoli Girls in Ikolomani Sub-county, Governor Barasa emphasized the importance of the funding, noting that it will improve the beneficiaries' standard of living and help eradicate unemployment within the county.

“The money given to these groups in Kakamega is crucial as it allows each member to implement personal projects, thereby reducing the rate of unemployment and raising the standards of living,” Barasa stated.

Barasa also urged those who have not yet benefited from the funding to register for the next disbursement to ensure they are not left out. He stressed that the funding would be an annual initiative. This year's allocation included four groups of youths, two groups of persons with disabilities, and nine groups of women from each sub-county in Kakamega.

“We have included almost all demographics in this project, with nine groups of women, four groups of youths, and two groups of persons with disabilities per sub-county. I encourage those who haven’t benefited this year to apply for the funds next year as the disbursement will be annual,” he added.

Additionally, Barasa assured that the county government adhered to legal procedures in selecting the groups that received the funding. This was affirmed by Mophat Mandela, the CEC member for Social Services, Youths, Sports, Gender, and Culture in Kakamega County.

“We used proper legal procedures to vet the groups that applied for the social grants, ensuring equal opportunity for all members from different sub-counties to benefit from this program,” Mandela confirmed.

Mandela also cautioned beneficiaries against imposters who might seek to extort money from them, stressing that no government official is authorized to request any share of the grants.

“I urge beneficiaries to be cautious of any county government officials who might try to extort money from you. No government official is authorized to take any portion of the funds given for your projects,” he emphasized.

Governor Barasa also announced plans to visit each sub-county within Kakamega to engage with the youth, popularly known as Gen Z, highlighting their importance as future leaders.

“As a county government, we are committed to visiting each sub-county to listen to the youth. Their input is crucial for the county's and the country’s future and should not be taken lightly,” he said.

In addition, Governor Barasa acknowledged President William Ruto's appointment of the cabinet secretaries, particularly applauding the selection of former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya for the Cooperatives and SMEs docket. He praised Oparanya’s dedication and the development he brought to Kakamega.

“I commend President William Ruto for appointing Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya as the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Cooperatives and SMEs. Oparanya is a hardworking individual who has significantly contributed to the development of Kakamega,” he said.