Empowering Kenya Workers from the Informal and Rural Economy on Inclusive Social Protection

The workshop was part of the project “Extending Social Protection Coverage to Workers in the Informal Economy in Lao PDR and Kenya on Leveraging Digital Transformation through South-South Cooperation,” funded by the Government of China. It brought together key stakeholders to discuss the implementation of the national Strategy for Extension of Social Protection Coverage to Workers in the Informal and Rural Economy in Kenya.

Kisumu County serves as the initial entry point for the rollout of the national strategy, which was launched by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection in October 2023. This strategy responds to the pressing need towards the extension of the social protection coverage to workers in the informal and rural economy in Kenya. The sector provides jobs for around 84% of the population. The strategy aims to advance universal social protection coverage in Kenya through a right-based and lifecycle approach addressing significant gaps that leave many workers vulnerable to economic shocks and social risks.

The Role of the Sensitization Workshop

The Sensitization Workshop in Kisumu aimed to create a concrete action plan for implementing the strategy in the county building on the ongoing interventions and identifying innovative approaches for extending social protection coverage. Over the two-day event, stakeholders from the national and county government, international organizations, and regional representatives - including the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), Central Organization of Trade Unions in Kenya (COTU-K), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), National Council for Persons with Disabilities, Informal and Rural Economy Associations and community-based organizations, gathered to outline the approaches for rolling out the strategy.

"The implementation of this strategy marks a critical step in ensuring that our informal and rural workers have access to the social protection that they rightfully deserve. Kisumu is proud to be at the forefront of this initiative, as we work to build a more inclusive future for all our citizens," said John Owiti, Kisumu County Executive Committee Member for Education, Technical Training, Innovation, and Social Services.

Kenya’s informal and rural economy workers often face various barriers to accessing social protection, including limited awareness and a lack of tailored programs. The strategy seeks to address these challenges by providing clear guidelines to extending coverage and ensuring the adequacy of social protection programs that are inclusive of these workers.

The workshop was held under the auspices of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), in partnership with UN agencies such as ILO, FAO, WFP, and UNICEF. Under the common UN agenda, these organizations work closely with the Government of Kenya to promote universal access to social protection for the people of Kenya. The strategy’s holistic approach also involves specialized government agencies, such as NSSF and NHIF, ensuring comprehensive coverage of health and income security benefits.

The implementation is being spearheaded by ILO's constituent partners, including the FKE and COTU-K, highlighting the critical role of tripartite collaboration.

© ILO

© ILO

Before the workshop kicked off, the ILO, FAO, WFP, and NSPS teams paid courtesy visits to key stakeholders from both the national and county governments, as well as regional offices of ILO’s constituent partners in Kisumu County. These visits served to onboard stakeholders and discussed the next steps for implementing the strategy. The discussions also played a key role in sensitizing the actors and partners on the strategy, in addition to the vital need to extend social protection to workers in the rural and informal economy.

Roadmap for Implementation

Following in-depth discussions during the workshop, participants developed a detailed action plan for implementing the strategy in Kisumu County. This action plan outlines the responsibilities of different stakeholders, ensuring a collaborative approach to extending social protection. The tripartite representation from government, FKE and COTU (K), alongside local and regional stakeholders, expressed full support for the programme, signalling a strong commitment to kickstart implementation.

The collaborative effort during the Sensitization Workshop underscores the dedication of all stakeholders to transforming the social protection landscape in Kisumu and in Kenya at large. With a focus on overcoming the barriers faced by informal and rural economy workers, the strategy represents a significant step towards achieving universal social protection while ensuring that no one is left behind.

As the action plan for Kisumu is finalized and rolled out, it will provide a model for implementation of the strategy across counties towards achieving the overall goal of the strategy which is to ‘adequately protect all workers in Kenya against major life-cycle risks and covariate shocks.’