Lamu County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri at a past event. He has vowed to ensure the elders from the minority Boni community also access cash meant for senior citizens. [Photo/ barakafm.org]
Boni elders in Lamu County have decried being mariginalised in the cash for the elderly programme.The elders said they have not received any monies since the programme was launched.Their spokesperson Musa Guyo sought the intervention of national government administrators in the county to help them access the cash, the Nation has reported.“Why must we be left out of everything? Are we not deserving enough? We need urgent intervention so that we also receive such funds,” Guyo said during a meeting in Pandanguo.Most of them, they stated, are very poor and that their advanced age can't allow them to engage in meaningful tasks to earn a living.Many, they added, have died due to lack of cash and yet the programme is meant to benefit all the elderly in the country.Tenau Samunu Duwaa, 90, further wants the government to increase the amount from Sh2, 000 to at Sh3, 500.On his part, Lamu County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri assured the elders that they will receive the money soon and asked all elders in the region to register with the relevant offices.He added that the monies will be released once the number of all elders is known.He also revealed that the government and the Kenya Red Cross have partnered to ensure that families affected by famine and the elders get Sh4,800 monthly in addition to the food relief being distributed by the central government.