Social Protection on informal and rural workers
Strategy launch on the extension of Social Protection on Informal and Rural Workers
29 May 2024
Kenya (ILO News), Kenya took a significant stride towards enhancing social protection for its informal and rural workforce. Florence Bore, the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, unveiled the Strategy for the extension of social protection coverage to workers in the informal and rural economy in Kenya aimed at extending social protection coverage to these vital sectors of the Kenya economy.
The strategy serves as a robust framework and is meant to counter the glaring insufficiency in social security benefits including health insurance, old age benefits, and non-contributory social protection available to non-formal wage workers.
Speaking during the launch, the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection Florence Bore said,” Its overarching objective is nothing less than the attainment of universal social protection. The government has placed this extension of social protection for informal economy workers at the forefront of its priorities, recognizing it as an essential component for establishing a comprehensive, sufficient, and sustainable social protection system accessible to all Kenyan citizens”.
In a collaborative effort, the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs, through a technical working group of experts and stakeholders who included the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) and the Central Organization of Trade Unions in Kenya (COTU), partnered with the ILO to develop this vital strategy.
The Cabinet Secretary added that the strategy has undergone rigorous validation by all stakeholders and social protection practitioners, ensuring its readiness for implementation in alignment with the government's unwavering commitment to preserving the dignity of all people of Kenya.
“Globally, a staggering 2 billion individuals derive their livelihoods from the informal economy, with the majority residing in developing nations. In Africa, a striking 83% of employment is characterized as informal, and in Kenya, outside of the agricultural sector, this informal workforce accounts for approximately 84% of total employment. Furthermore, an estimated 6.4 million households in Kenya are engaged in agricultural activities within informal settings as their primary source of income. Tragically, the majority of these informal sector workers endure the absence of social protection, labour rights, and decent working conditions. This void in social protection not only obstructs inclusive economic growth and social equity but also undermines the realization of fundamental human rights within the communities they inhabit” Caroline Njuki, ILO Chief Technical Advisor for PROSPECTS in Kenya.
The newly launched strategy offers explicit guidelines for extending coverage and ensuring the adequacy of social protection programs, specifically tailored to the unique needs of workers in the informal and rural economy. Furthermore, it outlines a set of clear and actionable steps to surmount the major barriers that these workers encounter when seeking access to social protection schemes.
Caroline added that Kenya's commitment to this cause puts it on a part of progress and proves the country's unwavering dedication to its citizens' well-being and social justice. The extension of social protection to informal and rural economy workers is an essential step in building a more equitable and prosperous future for all Kenyans.