President William Ruto has directed that all roughly 106,000 village elders assisting chiefs across Kenya receive a monthly stipend beginning June 2026, pending budget approval.
The decision comes after years of debate over how to compensate what has traditionally been a volunteer role. Under the proposed framework, village elders will no longer be unpaid community volunteers; instead, they will be registered, issued official identity cards, and receive a modest monthly allowance — officially described as a stipend rather than a full salary.
Background: Why the shift
Village elders — often known as “wazee wa mtaa” or “headmen” — have long played a critical role in local administration, assisting chiefs and assistant chiefs with community policing, mobilizing residents for government programmes, and handling grassroots dispute resolution.
Despite their important role, they have operated without formal recognition or remuneration.
Efforts to formalize their status have been underway for several years. Under the proposed National Government Coordination (Amendment) Bill, village elders would be absorbed into the national government administrative framework, with stipends or allowances determined in consultation with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and the Public Service Commission (PSC).
Earlier proposals for elder compensation were more generous — some suggesting up to Ksh 7,000 per month, plus allowances for transport and airtime. But fiscal constraints prompted caution, and the government settled on the lower stipend under the current directive.
What this means in practice
If fully implemented, the stipend will mark the first time the state financially rewards village elders for their service. It could improve motivation, reduce reliance on informal fees, and formalize accountability at the village level.
However, many questions remain unanswered: will the stipend be adequate compensation given the workload expected of elders? How will the government ensure that only legitimate elders are registered and paid? And how will county-level structures interface with the central registry and payroll?
Critics may argue that Ksh 3,000 per month (or the Ksh 3,500 figure some sources cite), barely enough to cover basic transport or communication costs, may fall short of meaningful compensation, especially in remote areas where elders often bear significant time and resource burdens.
But whether the move achieves substantive improvement, in elder welfare, community governance, or accountability, will depend on implementation details: proper registration, adequate resourcing, transparency in disbursement, and realistic recognition of the elders’ responsibilities.
The coming months especially as the 2026 national budget takes shape will reveal whether this policy is a token gesture or a genuine step toward empowering Kenya’s grassroots administrators.
