NAIROBI,Kenya Aug 4 – Village elders across Kenya will begin receiving a monthly stipend of Sh3,000, marking the first time the government has formally placed the grassroots administrators on a structured payment programme as part of efforts to strengthen local governance and service delivery.
President William Ruto announced the initiative on Tuesday during a meeting with village elders from across the country at State House, Nairobi, saying the government was committed to improving their welfare and enhancing their role in the National Government Administration structure.
“Starting today, every village elder will be paid a monthly stipend of Sh3,000,” President Ruto said.
The President also directed that all village elders and their immediate families be enrolled under the Social Health Authority (SHA), with the government meeting the required contributions.
“Every village elder and their family will be enrolled in SHA, with the government paying for the required contributions,” he said.
In addition, the Head of State said village elders would undergo digital literacy training and be equipped with digital communication devices to improve coordination with chiefs, assistant chiefs and other government agencies.
He further directed the Ministry of Interior to fast-track legislation that will formally anchor the position of village elders in law, giving them a clear legal mandate within the country’s governance framework.
The announcement builds on a policy framework developed by the Ministry of Interior to formally identify, register and integrate village elders into the National Government Administration system.
The framework, which has been under development for nearly a decade following parliamentary recommendations made in 2016, seeks to standardise the recruitment and responsibilities of the elders while recognising their long-standing contribution to public administration.
The stipend programme is expected to benefit about 110,000 village elders nationwide, many of whom have for years served voluntarily as the first point of contact in resolving community disputes, mobilising residents for government programmes, supporting security agencies with intelligence gathering and assisting chiefs in local administration without formal remuneration.
Parliament approved funding for the initiative in the 2026/27 financial year after lawmakers backed a proposal to allocate billions of shillings towards the programme.
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the government was simultaneously strengthening the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) by increasing operational funding for chiefs and assistant chiefs.
“In the first quarter of this financial year, we have increased the Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE) allocation for assistant chiefs from Sh15,000 to Sh30,000, and for chiefs from Sh30,000 to Sh50,000,” Murkomen said.
He added that the government had deployed 6,000 officers from the National Government Administration Police Unit (NGAPU) across 16 sub-counties to bolster the security of chiefs and assistant chiefs, with plans to expand the deployment after the graduation of another contingent.
Murkomen urged village elders to discharge their duties impartially, uphold constitutional values and continue fostering peace, national cohesion and effective service delivery at the grassroots.
The government says the reforms are aimed at creating a stronger and more responsive grassroots administrative structure by formally recognising village elders, whose roles have traditionally been voluntary despite their central role in community leadership, conflict resolution and implementation of government programmes.
