Kenya urged to rethink social protection as ageing population grows

Kenya must shift from crisis response to preventive social protection to ensure older persons remain healthy, independent and economically active as the country’s ageing population grows, a social protection advocate has said.

Suqoon Founder Shakira Khawaja said Kenya’s expanding social protection system should address the health, income and social needs of older persons before they become crises.

Speaking at the Fourth Kenya Social Protection Conference at the Kenya School of Government in Kabete on Wednesday, Khawaja said increased life expectancy should be viewed as a public health achievement rather than a burden on society.

“We worked hard for people to live longer. Now let us make sure our systems are ready for those longer lives, and that those lives are lived with function, contribution and dignity,” she said.

Her remarks came as the government moves to establish and capitalise a Social Protection Fund, expand coverage to 2.5 million households and make social protection benefits more predictable through indexation.

President William Ruto, in a speech read on his behalf by Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua during the conference's opening, also directed the rollout of a national school meals programme across all 47 counties from the first term of 2027.

Khawaja said the growing number of older persons makes it necessary for Kenya to integrate healthcare and social protection policies.

The number of Kenyans aged 60 and above is projected to rise from about 2.9 million currently to 6.4 million by 2045.

She said seemingly minor interventions, such as modifying homes to prevent falls among older persons, could help reduce healthcare costs and the burden placed on families providing care.

“A grab rail is not just a renovation. It is health protection. It is caregiver protection. It is social protection,” she said.

Suqoon has been working with partners, including Safaricom and the Chandaria Foundation, to modify homes for older persons and reduce the risk of falls.

Khawaja called for three commitments to be included in the conference's Call to Action, including closing the gap in social protection between the age of 60, when a person is constitutionally recognised as an older person, and 70, when the Older Persons Cash Transfer begins.

She also called for stronger protection of older persons' income, property and assets against abuse.

Khawaja urged Parliament to table the Older Persons Bill, 2024, which she said had not been introduced in Parliament despite the conclusion of public participation in 2024.

She further called for an assisted alternative for older persons who are unable to independently access digital payment platforms and other digital services.

The Suqoon founder also challenged perceptions that older persons are dependent members of society, noting their continued contribution to families and communities.

“An elder is not where the life cycle closes. She is where it turns. When we invest in an older person, the return does not stop with her. It moves through the family, the community and into the next generation,” she said.

Older persons participating in Suqoon's community activities in Nairobi's Mathare and Embakasi also highlighted the importance of social connection and intergenerational interaction.

Ann Wanjiru Mbuthia, 64, Organising Secretary at Mathare Older Persons Network, said older persons needed greater interaction with younger generations.

“We need more conversations between generations. Young people need to understand what older people go through and why they need to be cared for. There is a lot that younger people can learn from older people,” she said.

Peter Oyugi, 65, from Embakasi, said community activities had helped older persons overcome isolation.

“Suqoon has given us a space where we can come together, talk and interact. Sometimes an older person can stay in the house for many days without going anywhere. Having this space gives us a reason to come out and feel part of the community,” he said.

The Fourth Kenya Social Protection Conference is being held under the theme: “Re-imagining Social Protection in an evolving socio-economic landscape and climate change: Strengthening Adaptive, Transformative and Sustainable Social Protection Systems for Inclusive Development in Kenya.”