Caregivers of persons with disabilities (PWDS) could each receive a monthly stipend of Sh2,000 if a proposal to expand the allowance scheme for the special group is approved.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection said in a disclosure that it targets to cover 500,000 PWDs within five years, costing the government Sh12 billion annually once fully implemented.
The Cash Transfer for Persons with Severe Disabilities (PWSD-CT) in Kenya covered approximately 47,200 to 51,890 households between 2016 and 2020.
The proposal looks to include a monthly caregiver allowance as provided in the newly enacted Persons with Disabilities Act for 130,000 caregivers of PWSDs, for Sh3.12 billion a year.
This translates to Sh2,000 per month for both caregivers and PWDs.
‘Recommendations: An expanded and individualised disability allowance targeted to 500,000 beneficiaries within 5 years with the full annual cost of Sh12 billion realised from the fifth year onward,’ the report read in part.
‘A caregiver allowance to recognise the efforts of 130,000 caregivers of persons with severe disabilities and high support needs within the next 3 years, with a full annual cost of Sh3.12 billion from year three onwards.’
The proposal also seeks to shift care into communities through 5,800 ‘circles of care and support’, for Sh928 million annually, besides expanding respite and rehabilitation centres from 12 to 47 nationwide, with running costs of Sh597 million a year.
The plan shows that assistive devices such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, and prosthetics would be covered under Taifa Care, with an estimated insurance cost of Sh700 million annually, moving disability support from charity to a state-backed public service.
The plans also present a phased approach that will provide accessible transport to 36,209 learners with disabilities throughout the academic calendar for Sh2.2 billion and 91,669 PWDs seeking medical services for Sh110 million per year.
‘Overall, the proposed disability inclusion strategy will expand coverage and guarantee participation of persons with disabilities in the community by nearly doubling the disability inclusion costs from Sh10.42 billion in year 1 to Sh19.74 billion,’ the report read in part.
‘This implies an increase of disability inclusion costs from 0.06 percent of the GDP to 0.11 percent, which will align Kenya’s spending with commitments made at the 2025 Global Disability Summit. This expansion will also position Kenya at the bottom of the good-performing countries, such as Egypt, Zambia, and South Africa,’ it added.