The Government of Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Kenya’s social protection system, with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection announcing plans to establish and capitalise the Social Protection Fund and expand the Inua Jamii programme to reach 2.5 million Kenyan households.
The commitments were highlighted by Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, Hon. Alfred Mutua, during the official opening of the 4th Kenya Social Protection Conference 2026, which is bringing together government, county governments, development partners, researchers, practitioners, civil society and private sector actors to examine the future of social protection in Kenya.
Held under the theme, “Re-imagining Social Protection in an Evolving Socio-Economic Landscape and Climate Change: Strengthening Adaptive, Transformative and Sustainable Social Protection Systems for Inclusive Development in Kenya,” the conference is focused on how Kenya can build a social protection system that is more responsive to climate and economic shocks, closes coverage gaps and supports vulnerable households towards greater resilience and economic inclusion.
Inua Jamii coverage expands to 1.7 million beneficiaries
The Government currently provides more than KSh3.5 billion every month to vulnerable Kenyans through various social protection programmes.
Inua Jamii has expanded from 1.2 million to 1.7 million beneficiaries, bringing an additional 500,000 vulnerable Kenyans into the programme. The Government has committed to further expanding coverage towards the target of 2.5 million households, while ensuring cash transfer allocations remain protected until eligible and vulnerable Kenyans are reached.
The programme has also transitioned from commercial bank payments to mobile money, particularly M-PESA, making it easier for older persons, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable beneficiaries to access their payments closer to where they live.
Strengthening inclusion for persons with disabilities
Between FY2022/23 and FY2025/26, KSh7.947 billion was allocated to programmes implemented through the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, with KSh7.277 billion disbursed and utilised.
During the same period, more than 330,000 persons with disabilities were newly registered, while 63,960 persons benefited from the Cash Transfer Programme for Persons with Severe Disabilities, up from 30,000.
These investments have supported access to social protection, education, assistive devices, economic empowerment, employment and specialised support services.
From cash assistance to economic inclusion
The conference is also highlighting the need for social protection to go beyond providing immediate relief and support households to build sustainable livelihoods.
The Kenya Social and Economic Inclusion Project (KSEIP) was highlighted as an important pathway towards this approach, supporting early childhood nutrition, addressing adolescent vulnerabilities, strengthening economic inclusion and improving social protection registries and systems to enable faster responses to shocks.
National stunting among children under five has declined from 26 per cent in 2014 to 18.4 per cent, while KSEIP is supporting vulnerable households to transition towards greater economic participation as entrepreneurs, farmers, workers and suppliers.
National School Meals Programme to be rolled out
The Government has further committed to the progressive establishment of a National School Meals Programme covering learners in lower primary, upper primary and junior secondary schools across all 47 counties.
The Ministry of Education, working with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the National Treasury and other stakeholders, is expected to develop the policy, financing, governance and implementation framework for a phased national rollout beginning in the first school term of 2027.
The programme is intended to bring together education, nutrition, social protection, local economic development, agricultural transformation and employment objectives.
Building a more resilient social protection system
The 4th Kenya Social Protection Conference comes at a time when Kenya is strengthening its policy and legislative framework for social protection. Key developments over the past four years include the Social Protection Policy 2023, Persons with Disabilities National Policy 2024, Social Protection Act 2025, Persons with Disabilities Act 2025 and Social Protection Regulations 2026.
The conference will explore how these frameworks can translate into stronger delivery and greater impact for Kenyans, with discussions focusing on adaptive and shock-responsive social protection, inclusive coverage, digital transformation and data, sustainable financing, livelihood strengthening, and policy and institutional coordination.
Speaking at the conference, CS Alfred Mutua emphasised the importance of building a system that is predictable, sustainable and capable of protecting vulnerable Kenyan families against poverty, disability, old age and the growing impact of climate shocks.
The Ministry further called for stronger collaboration between national and county governments, development partners, the private sector and civil society to strengthen social protection delivery and ensure that vulnerable Kenyans are not left behind.