Program Framework and its Effects on the Implementation of the Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Lamu County, Kenya.

Abstract

Kenya has had an increasing number of vulnerable and orphaned children, the population of children is projected to be 19 million with about 3.5 million being orphaned and vulnerable children. Traditionally orphans were cared for by the kinship network, recently the increasing social economic pressure on households has led to weakening social structures and ties. Social assistance programs have been a leading solution to these present dynamics, conditional and unconditional cash transfers have recorded a great success in cushioning families from the harsh economic times. The study aimed at exploring how administrative structures, beneficiary processing and monitoring mechanisms affects the implementation of the Cash Transfer for Orphans and vulnerable Children in Lamu West sub- County. Cash transfers are grounded on the theory of change which employs conditionality with the aim of achieving household productivity and capacity. Lamu West has 1063 enrolled beneficiaries and the researcher assessed a sample population of 100 beneficiaries through use of questionnaires and 10 administrators were interviewed. The study adhered to ensuring that the respondents were assured of their protection and confidentiality as part of the ethical considerations for the study. The study employed the descriptive survey design, data collected from the interview schedule was assessed using thematic analysis while data from the questionnaires was analysed using SPSS and displayed in frequency tables. The study findings were the lack of adequate funding and sensitisation of the program goals and structures among the beneficiaries and administrators in addition to the growing need for decentralisation of the program to enable faster response to changes targeting the households. From the study findings the researcher was able to make the following recommendations; the need for increased sensitisation for the various committees concerned with management of the program this would aid in ensuring recruitment, enrolment and overall supervision of program is done efficiently. There is also a need to adequately fund the management of the program to ensure its overall coordination.