Kenya’s Minority & Marginalized Communities to Receive Government Cash Transfers
Thousands of families from Kenya’s minority and marginalised communities are set to benefit from government cash transfer programmes following a directive by President William Ruto.
Speaking during International Minorities Day celebrations at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday, December 18, 2025, President Ruto directed the State Department for Social Protection to urgently register and enrol eligible families from minority communities into existing cash transfer initiatives.
“The State Department for Social Protection shall urgently register and enrol all eligible families from minority and marginalised communities into existing cash transfer programmes to strengthen household resilience and dignity,” President Ruto said.
The directive specifically targets communities that have historically faced land dispossession and cultural erosion, including the Ogiek, Sengwer, Yaaku, Sanye, Waata, Dorobo, Elmolo, and Malakote. Coastal communities such as the Arabs and Pemba, as well as pastoralist groups like the Somalis, Maasai, and Samburu, will also benefit. Linguistic minorities including the Suba and Terik, who face threats to their languages, are among the intended beneficiaries.
These communities have long experienced systemic challenges, including poverty, limited access to essential services, political exclusion, land disputes, and forced evictions, making them particularly vulnerable to economic and social marginalisation.
In addition to cash transfers, President Ruto announced the launch of a Ksh 500 million National Minority Scholarship Programme to support children from indigent families in accessing secondary and tertiary education. The government will also cover Social Health Authority contributions for 200,000 vulnerable individuals from these communities.
“The Minorities and Marginalised Communities Directorate, immediately established within the Executive Office of the President, shall coordinate and implement all interventions across government,” the President added.
Further measures include the creation of an Education Infrastructure Fund of Ksh 200 million annually, aimed at constructing and upgrading schools in marginalised regions. President Ruto emphasised that Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries have been instructed to integrate these initiatives into their 2026-2027 budget estimates.
The President’s announcement comes amid renewed government focus on addressing historical injustices and improving the socio-economic conditions of Kenya’s minority and marginalised populations.
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Kenya’s Minority & Marginalized Communities to Receive Government Cash Transfers