Nairobi: For decades, village elders have quietly served as the backbone of grassroots administration in Kenya, resolving disputes, promoting peace, mobilizing communities for government programs, and supporting chiefs and assistant chiefs without any form of financial compensation. Their contribution is now receiving formal recognition through the government’s introduction of a monthly stipend of Sh3,000, a move expected to strengthen grassroots governance and improve service delivery across the country.
According to Kenya News Agency, the monthly facilitation, introduced by President William Ruto’s administration, has been welcomed as a landmark intervention that acknowledges the critical role village elders play in supporting the National Government Administration. As the closest link between citizens and government, village elders work with chiefs and assistant chiefs to disseminate government information, mobilize residents for development initiatives, identify vulnerable households, support security ag
encies, and ensure public services reach every village.
In Kericho County, village elders in Buchenge Sub-location, Tendwet Location, Ainamoi Sub-county say the stipend has boosted their morale and enhanced their ability to carry out responsibilities that directly contribute to peace, security, and socio-economic development. Speaking during a meeting held outside the Assistant Chief’s Office in Buchenge Sub-location, Chepkerkon Village elder Philip Koskei described the government’s decision as historic, saying it is the first time village elders have received formal financial recognition for the services they have rendered voluntarily over many years.
Koskei noted that village elders have long sacrificed their time and personal resources to mediate family disputes, resolve community conflicts, assist vulnerable households, mobilize residents during government programs and support local administrators without receiving any remuneration. He said the monthly stipend demonstrates the government’s appreciation
of grassroots leaders who have remained committed to serving wananchi despite operating under difficult conditions.
“The government has finally recognized the work village elders have been doing for many years. The stipend motivates us to continue serving wananchi with greater dedication because it shows our contribution is valued,” said Koskei. He added that the financial support has significantly improved the morale of village elders and strengthened their sense of belonging within the National Government Administration.
Koskei also commended assistant chiefs for conducting a transparent identification process that ensured deserving village elders were enlisted to benefit from the program. He urged fellow village elders to reciprocate the government’s goodwill by discharging their duties with honesty, impartiality, and professionalism while remaining non-partisan in serving all members of the community.
According to Koskei, village elders remain the first point of contact whenever disputes arise within f
amilies or neighborhoods because they understand local dynamics and enjoy the trust of residents. He observed that resolving conflicts at the village level not only promotes harmony but also reduces the number of cases that escalate to courts or administrative offices.
Buchenge Sub-location Vice Chairperson of Village Managers Stephen Maritim said village elders remain indispensable partners in the National Government Administration because of their close interaction with residents. Maritim explained that village elders spend considerable time mediating domestic disagreements, settling neighborhood disputes, and resolving minor land conflicts before they develop into major legal or security concerns.
He said their familiarity with households enables them to identify emerging social challenges early and coordinate appropriate interventions with chiefs, assistant chiefs, and relevant government departments. Besides conflict resolution, Maritim said village elders play a central role in encouraging parents to
keep children in school, monitoring vulnerable families requiring government assistance, and mobilizing communities to participate in public meetings and development programs.
He noted that village elders are actively involved in government campaigns such as immunization drives, environmental conservation activities, tree-planting exercises, public participation forums, and disaster response initiatives. Maritim further said village elders contribute significantly to community policing by providing timely information to security agencies regarding criminal activities, suspicious movements, and emerging security threats.
He added that they also work closely with chiefs and assistant chiefs in combating drug and substance abuse through public awareness campaigns and community sensitization programs targeting young people. “Village elders are the government’s eyes and ears at the grassroots. Every day we help unite families, resolve conflicts, promote education, report insecurity, and support chiefs in impleme
nting government programs. The introduction of this stipend motivates us to continue serving our communities with commitment,” he said.
Assistant Chief of Buchenge Sub-location Wilson Kiplangat Rotich described village elders as dependable partners who have continued to strengthen government administration and service delivery at the grassroots. Rotich said the close collaboration between chiefs, assistant chiefs, and village elders has enhanced communication between government and citizens while improving public participation in development programs.
He observed that village elders possess extensive knowledge of their communities, enabling them to identify vulnerable households, monitor emerging social issues, and provide timely information that assists government officers in responding effectively. According to the assistant chief, village elders have continued to play a vital role in promoting peaceful coexistence, preventing crime, supporting education, and mobilizing residents during government initiat
ives.
He said they have been instrumental in identifying beneficiaries of government social protection programs, supporting emergency response during disasters, and ensuring official government information reaches every household. “Our village elders remain dependable partners in government administration. Their close interaction with residents enables them to identify challenges early and support peaceful resolution of disputes. They continue to promote peace, education, development, and security while supporting implementation of government programs,” said Rotich.
The assistant chief urged the elders to uphold integrity, accountability, and professionalism while executing their responsibilities, noting that public trust remains the greatest asset for grassroots administrators. Village elders constitute the lowest administrative unit within the National Government Administration and serve as an important bridge between households and government institutions.
Their responsibilities include disseminating go
vernment information, identifying beneficiaries of government programs, promoting national values and cohesion, supporting disaster preparedness and response, reporting security concerns, assisting in conflict resolution, and mobilizing communities for public participation and national development initiatives. They also support registration exercises, census activities, voter education campaigns, and health programs while helping identify children who have dropped out of school and families requiring urgent government intervention.
The monthly stipend forms part of the Government’s broader strategy to strengthen grassroots governance by recognizing and empowering frontline administrators who interact directly with citizens on a daily basis. The initiative is expected to improve motivation, accountability, and efficiency among village elders while enhancing implementation of government policies under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Residents in Buchenge welcomed the recognition, saying m
otivated village elders are better placed to respond to community concerns, promote peaceful coexistence, and strengthen collaboration between citizens and government institutions. They noted that village elders often serve voluntarily despite handling sensitive responsibilities that require considerable time, patience, and personal commitment.
As Kenya continues to strengthen grassroots governance, the formal recognition of village elders is expected to reinforce the effectiveness of the National Government Administration by ensuring government services, development programs, and security initiatives reach even the most remote villages. For many communities, village elders remain the most accessible representatives of government, providing a trusted link between wananchi and the State while helping build cohesive, peaceful, and resilient communities.
