Village elders across the country could soon start receiving a monthly payment under a new government plan that seeks to formally place them within the national administration system, after years of debate over their recognition and role at the grassroots level.
The proposal was presented before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security during discussions on the 2026/2027 budget estimates on Wednesday, where officials outlined a plan to pay each village elder Sh3,000 every month once the policy is approved.
Interior ministry PS Raymond Omollo said about 110,000 village elders are expected to benefit from the programme, which has already gone through policy development and identification guidelines following long consultations and public participation.
PS Omollo explained that the idea has been under discussion for nearly a decade, noting that earlier directions from Parliament helped push the process forward.
“The conversation about village elders began in 2016 and the House actually gave directions to the ministry. It has taken almost 10 years to get us here,” said Dr. Omollo.
He added that the committee played a key role in ensuring the allocation was included in the budget, saying the funding would cover the programme for the year if approved.
“Our expectation is that we will be giving a stipend of Sh3,000 to each village elder and the amount that has been provisioned for will be almost enough to take us through the whole year,” he said.
PS Omollo further noted that safeguards would be put in place to ensure only eligible elders benefit, especially those not already receiving other state support such as social safety nets or community health programmes.
Lawmakers welcomed the proposal but raised concerns over the adequacy of the proposed amount, with some pushing for an increase to match other community-level workers.
Narok West MP Hon. Gabriel Tongoyo, who chairs the committee, said while the plan marked progress, there was a case for higher pay based on comparable roles.
“We had nothing before, but maybe we should have put them at par with the community health promoters,” said Mr Tongoyo.
Teso North MP Hon. Oku Kaunya questioned how the elders would be structured within the national system, saying there was need for a clear legal and reporting framework under the National Administration structure.
“I hope they are anchored within the National Administration structure. If that is the case, then I would support the idea that they need to have an enhanced amount to Sh5,000, which would be reasonable,” said Hon. Kaunya.
MP Tongoyo noted that raising the stipend to Sh5,000 would push the annual cost to between Sh5.5 billion and Sh6 billion, but said the idea could still be explored further with the Budget Committee and National Treasury.
“The President has already pronounced himself on this issue during a meeting with chiefs. It is a conversation we can still pick up if there is a way to enhance it to at least Sh5,000,” he said.
The lawmakers nonetheless backed the move as a major step toward formally recognising village elders, who have for years supported chiefs and assistant chiefs in local administration, peace efforts and security coordination without structured government pay.