Nairobi — More than 500 delegates have arrived in Nairobi for the Kenya Social Protection Conference 2023 which starts on Monday, Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore has said.
Bore said President William Ruto is set to officially open the four-day event on Tuesday morning at the Kenya School of Government.
"By accepting to be the Chief Guest at the conference, President Ruto is affirming his Government's commitment to address the plight of the needy and vulnerable populations of our country, including the 1.2 million Kenyans currently covered under the Inua Jamii cash transfer programmes," Ms Bore said when she toured the venue of the event.
She said the Government had adopted a multi-agency approach involving relevant Government ministries and departments to ensure that the conference runs smoothly.
The CS said the Government was working hard to steady and scale up the social production programmes in the face of the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing economic challenges.
Currently, the state spends more than Sh20 billion annually in social protection programmes under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
"We are seeking to do even better in expanding the social protection programmes, with the support of our development partners," she said.
Currently, she said, the elderly population continues to grapple with lack of income security, inadequate health services, and a deteriorating environment.
She said the Government plans to push for 100 percent National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) coverage for senior citizens within three years.
"We are also promising to enhance inclusion into society and employment opportunities for people with disabilities," she said.
The 2023 conference will provide a way forward towards the inclusion and expansion of social protection interventions for all deserving Kenyans.
It will also provide an opportunity for the sector to advance the social protection agenda with a view to ensuring increased coverage and access.
The Government, the CS said, was aware of the limited coverage of social protection in some segments of our population including children, older persons, persons with disabilities, youth, and women.
"This conference will be expected to come up with proposals on improving the welfare of these populations," she said.
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Efforts will be made to ensure minority groups, workers, migrants, refugees, unemployed persons, and those in the informal sector are also brought in the bracket of special protection, she said.
"It is only through this focus that we will ensure that all vulnerable groups are cushioned from extreme poverty, social exclusion and deprivation throughout their lifecycle," she said of the conference that ends on Thursday.
She added that all eligible Kenyans needed to be protected to ensure their active participation in the different facets of society "as we seek to build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing climatic shocks that exposed the gaps in our efforts to build shock-responsive social protection interventions".
The conference will bring together national and international participants drawn from relevant line ministries, civil society organizations, development partners, academic institutions, county governments, media, private sector, humanitarian agencies, individuals, Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies, and the international arena.
