Government Is Using Huduma Number Data To Disburse Covid-19 Cushion Money To Kenyans

Government has conveniently found away to deal with those who boycotted the Huduma Number registration. From the looks, this is just the start of the many more to come.

Reports now indicate that the state will be relying on the Huduma data to map out and send the most vulnerable people coronavirus cushion money, directly to their phones.

Last month President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a 10 billion shillings package to be disbursed to the vulnerable in the four counties.

The government has also announced 9 billion shillings through the Inua jamii program that targets the orphans, elderly and other vulnerable groups in the country.

So far, Sh170M has been sent to persons deemed vulnerable through the cash transfer. This includes people in Kilifi, Nairobi, Kwale and Mombasa seem to have been worst hit by the pandemic.

The program according to the government, targets 1M people which is a small fraction of the large 48M Kenyans. However, there’s yet another sleek line being introduced that lack of accurate data after the high court stopped the government from using the information collected during the huduma namba exercise is hampering the program.

“In this story a PS is cleverly blaming courts for stopping Huduma number, which ‘could have been used to reach millions’. The courts ordered the state to strike off illegal, invasive data first, eg GPS, and then use Huduma Namba. Guess who was to make the changes? Parliament.” BBC journalist, Ferdy Omondi commented.

From some users online, they’ve already received Sh2,000 from the Government which seems as the standard being sent unclear though whether this is a monthly or weekly stipend.

Othet countries have been doing cash deliveries as well, in Canada, vulnerable people are receiving Sh200,000 every two weeks.