For over a decade, Village Elders have dedicated their time, energy and resources to selflessly serve their communities without a paycheck.
To voice their support on the issue, a cross-section of Nyanza residents have called on the Kenya Kwanza government to recognize their efforts after offering voluntary services.
Speaking during a public participation exercise held at the Mama Grace Social Hall in Kisumu on Tuesday, they urged the administration to pay village elders salaries every month.
“Village elders have tirelessly worked in challenging environments in their drive to ensure law, order and cohesion is maintained at mashinani (the village levels),” they remarked when contributing to two drafts: National Government Village Elders Policy, and National Government Coordination (administrative units) Regulations, 2025.
Payment of salaries, the local residents noted, will go a long way in motivating and empowering them to support the work of Assistant Chiefs and Senior Chiefs in their areas of jurisdiction.
“They need recognition as they have depended on stipends for quite a long time,”
Ms.Grace Ochieng, a village elder from Awendo- Migori county expressed her trials and tribulations while serving in that position.
” For the last 11 years, we haven’t had any form of remuneration from the government. I will highly appreciate it even if I get a salary of Sh11,000 every month,” she appealed.
Nyanza Regional Commissioner Ms Flora Mworoa allayed the fears as the government seeks to strengthen governance, service delivery, and national cohesion at the grassroots level through the two draft regulations.
“It also proposes the mapping and gazettement of villages, introduces eligibility criteria for elders, and assigns them well-defined roles, from maintaining incident registers,”
Of great significance, it will also provide for their training, facilitation, and oversight roles.
On his part during the event, Kisumu County Commissioner Benson Leparmorijo lauded the village elders for their unwavering service to the government and members of the public.
” the draft will formalize their position through legally-anchored frameworks. The government is exploring their remuneration and payment of stipends as a token of appreciation,” he added.
Members of the public were urged to submit their contributions through the relevant channels provided by the government during the countrywide exercise held at the former eight provincial headquarters.
