Harambee House fields amendment to anchor renumeration of village elders » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 11 — The Ministry of Interior has proposed a legislative amendment to recognize village elders as National Government Administrative Officers.
The National Government Coordination (Amendment) Bill proposes payment of allowances as determined by the Public Service Commission (PSC) in consultation with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki proposed the amendment while addressing the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence, and Foreign Relations.
The proposed policy framework recommends a phased implementation of a monthly allowance of up to Sh7,000, depending on Kenya’s economic conditions, for village elders across the country.
Raymond Omollo, Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, on Saturday emphasized the need to acknowledge the vital role of village elders in engaging citizens and facilitating decision-making processes.
“Village elders play a crucial role in our communities, and it is essential that we recognize their efforts,” Omollo said.
“The Government under President William Ruto is committed to enhancing regulatory effectiveness and improving the provision of public goods and services, and village elders are key partners in achieving these goals.”
Sh2,000 stipend in pilot phase
The Bill proposes a start off stipend of Sh2,000 per month which is commensurate to the disbursement given to elders in the Inua Jamii Programme.
Omollo said the approach will enable the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to evaluate the financial impact and present it to the National Treasury for budgetary allocation.
He highlighted the village elders significant contributions to rural community development, including their efforts in promoting awareness, resolving disputes, and advancing development initiatives and social services through the household-level Nyumba Kumi Initiative.
“The policy framework also addresses concerns about recruitment of village elders. The framework covers various aspects, including terms of engagement, functions of village elders, recruitment criteria, remuneration schemes, termination processes, disciplinary actions, and conditions for vacating office,” he said.
Kenya has a total 9,045 sub-locations with 106,072 villages spread across the administrative units overseen by Assistant Chiesf.
The proposed legislation will formalize liason between village elders and Assistant Chiefs as well as Location Chiefs by amending the National Government Coordination Act of 2013.
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