The plan was presented by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo while appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security during the review of the 2026/2027 budget estimates.
If approved by Parliament, the programme is expected to benefit about 110,000 village elders nationwide, marking one of the largest formal recognition schemes for informal grassroots leaders in the country’s history.
Dr Omollo told MPs that the Ministry of Interior has already developed a policy framework and criteria for identifying and verifying eligible village elders after nearly a decade of consultations and public participation.
He noted that discussions on formalising the role of village elders began as early as 2016, following parliamentary recommendations to integrate them more fully into the national administration structure.
According to the proposal, each eligible elder would begin receiving Sh3,000 monthly starting in the next financial year, depending on budget approval and implementation timelines.
“Our expectation is that we will be giving a stipend of Sh3,000 to each village elder,” Omollo said, adding that the allocated funds would be sufficient to support the programme for the year.
He also clarified that beneficiaries already receiving other government support, such as social safety net payments or serving as community health promoters, would not qualify for the additional stipend.
Lawmakers welcomed the proposal, although several members of the National Assembly argued that the amount should be increased to better reflect the workload carried by village elders.
Committee Chairperson Gabriel Tongoyo described the initiative as a significant step toward improving grassroots governance but suggested raising the stipend to Sh5,000 for better impact.
Similarly, Oku Kaunya questioned the administrative structure under which the elders would operate, recommending a higher stipend aligned with community health promoters.
The proposal has also received political backing, with the committee noting that President William Ruto had previously expressed support for strengthening the role of village elders during meetings with chiefs.
If implemented, the programme would formalise a long-standing informal system in which village elders act as key links between communities and the national administration, assisting in conflict resolution, intelligence gathering, and local coordination.
The plan is now expected to proceed through parliamentary approval before final inclusion in the national budget.
