President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday, April 16 announced the provision of a weekly stipend to cushion vulnerable Kenyans from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

While he did not disclose how much each household was set to receive, we can now reveal that the government is providing a weekly stipend of Sh1,000.

This was confirmed by Interior Ministry Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, who said over 100,000 households have already benefitted from the first disbursement.

Speaking in an interview on Inooro FM, Kibicho said each of the 108,000 households in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi Counties received Sh2,000 for a two-week period.

“That money (Sh2,000) was for two weeks. We shall be giving them one thousand shillings every week,” he said.

The PS said the money is distributed through Mpesa.

He said the State is implementing the first phase of the programme in the counties where a cessation of movement has been imposed.

“We are expanding to other urban areas like Thika, Kiandutu, Kiambu, Kakamega, Eldoret, Kisumu and others,” said Kibicho.

The PS noted that vulnerable families identified by a multi-agency team comprised of officers from the Ministries of State department for Social Services, Health and Interior Ministries.

He also explained that: “If your ID and M-Pesa details don’t match you will not receive that money which is from the Government of Kenya.”

“So far we have not received reports on anyone who has received this money and is not supposed to receive it,” Kibicho added.