Meru:In Igembe South Sub County, Meru County, beneficiaries of the Inua Jamii programme have gathered in large numbers for a proof-of-life verification exercise. This initiative aims to confirm that registered beneficiaries are still alive and ensure that government cash transfers reach the rightful recipients.
According to Kenya News Agency, Igembe South Social Development Officer Victor Murithi reported that more than 1,200 beneficiaries have been registered since the exercise started on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The turnout has been increasing daily as more beneficiaries come forward for verification.
The verification process is designed to update programme records and address instances where cash transfers might be received on behalf of deceased beneficiaries whose deaths have not been reported. It targets senior citizens and beneficiaries under the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programme.
The process involves physical appearance, scanning of original national identity cards, fingerprint scanning, and facial verification. Murithi highlighted that the exercise is mobile, intended to bring services closer to beneficiaries, especially the elderly and those in remote areas, to ease the burden of travelling to the social development office.
The team has covered eight locations in Igembe South so far, with plans to visit all locations before the exercise concludes. Beneficiaries face several challenges, including high transport costs, old age, illness, and unpredictable weather, which can make travelling difficult. The mobile exercise aims to alleviate these difficulties and improve access to verification services.
Murithi warned that beneficiaries who do not present themselves for verification risk being removed from the programme’s records once the exercise is completed. He encouraged those who have not yet undergone verification to do so to avoid exclusion from the programme.
He reassured beneficiaries that the verification process would not disrupt the normal payment schedule for the Inua Jamii programme. The verification, which started on October 1, is set to continue throughout the month.
