This Act was repealed on 2025-08-19 by Social Protection Act, 2025.
This is the version of this Act as it was from 1 March 2013 to 30 December 2022. Read the version as it was when it was repealed.
Social Assistance Act
Related documents
- Is amended by 24th Annual Supplement
- Is repealed by Social Protection Act
LAWS OF KENYA
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE ACT
CAP. 258A
- Published in Kenya Gazette Vol. CXV—No. 32 on 1 March 2013
- Assented to on 14 January 2013
- Commenced on 25 January 2013
- [Repealed by Social Protection Act, 2025 (Act No. 12 of 2025) on 19 August 2025]
Part I – PRELIMINARY
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Social Assistance Act, 2013.2. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—"Authority" means the National Social Assistance Authority established under section 3;"beneficiary" means a person receiving social assistance from the State;"Board" means the Board of Management established under section 5 of this Act;"child" means a person under the age of eighteen years;"Director" means a person appointed as such under section 8;"financial assistance" means a type of social assistance provided as—(a)payment for food, shelter, clothing, fuel, utilities, household supplies and personal requirements;(b)payment for special needs of the kind prescribed by the regulations;(c)payment for care in residential institutions;(d)payment for travel and transportation expenses;(e)payment for funeral and burial expenses;(f)payment for health care services; and(g)comfort allowances and allowances for other needs of residents of residential institutions."Minister" means the Minister for the time being responsible for matters relating to social development;"older person" means a person contemplated in section 21;"orphans and vulnerable children" means children as described under section 20;"residential institution" means an institution approved in accordance with Regulations that provide for living accommodation and temporary or continuing care for persons in need;"social assistance" means assistance provided in accordance with this Act to persons in need and other persons and includes financial assistance and social services;"social services" means services having as their object the lessening, removal or prevention of the causes or effects of poverty, child neglect or dependence on public assistance and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes(a)rehabilitation services;(b)counseling services;(c)adoption services;(d)day care services;(e)community development services;(f)consulting, research and evaluation services with respect to social programmes;(g)provision of income assistance or indigent relief; and(h)administrative, secretarial and clerical services, including staff training, relating to the provision of any of the foregoing services."youth" means the collectivity of all individuals in the Republic who have attained the age of eighteen years but have not attained the age of thirty-five years.Part II – ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL SOCIAL ASSISTANCE AUTHORITY
3. Establishment of the Authority
4. Functions of the Authority
The functions of the Authority shall be to—5. Board of the Authority
6. Tenure of office
A member appointed to the Board under paragraph (a) and (f) of section 5(1) shall hold office for a period of three years and shall be eligible for re-appointment for a further and final term of three years.7. Conduct of business and affairs of the Board
The conduct and regulation of the business and affairs of the Board shall be as provided in the Schedule.8. Powers of the Board
9. Director to the Authority
10. Functions of the Director
11. Staff of the Authority
The Board may appoint such officers, agents and other staff as are necessary for the efficient discharge of its functions under this Act and upon such terms and conditions as the Board may determine.12. Experts and consultants
The Board may engage consultants and experts, as it considers appropriate, to assist in the discharge of the functions of the Authority.13. Delegation by the Board
The Board may, by resolution either generally or in any particular case, delegate to any committee of the Authority or to any officer, member of staff or agent of the Authority, the exercise of any of the powers or the performance of any of the functions or duties of the Authority under this Act.14. Remuneration of members of the Board
The members of the Board shall be paid such remuneration, fees, allowances and disbursements for expenses as may be approved by the Board upon the advice of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.15. Protection from personal liability
16. Common seal
Part III – SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
17. Social assistance to persons in need
18. Types of social assistance
Social assistance may be provided to an applicant in the form of—19. Eligibility for social assistance
20. Orphans and vulnerable children
A child qualifies for social assistance if that child—21. Older persons
A person qualifies for social assistance as an elderly person if the person—22. Unemployed persons
23. Persons with disabilities
24. Social assistance programmes
The Minister shall in consultation with the Authority, provide programmes that are intended to—25. Application for social assistance
26. Appeals
A person, who is aggrieved by a decision of the Authority under this Act, may within thirty days from the date of the Authority’s decision, appeal to the Magistrates Court and in any appeal the Magistrates Court may annul or vary the decision as it may consider necessary.27. Abuse of social assistance
If in the opinion of the Minister a beneficiary abuses their social assistance the Minister may—28. Termination of social assistance to persons who are absent from Kenya
29. Suspension or cancellation of social assistance
The Authority may suspend or cancel social assistance if the social assistance was—30. Refund to the government
31. Preservation of personal information of applicant
32. Lapsing of social assistance
Social assistance lapses—33. Review of social assistance
The Authority shall review social assistance at any time where it has reason to believe that a change in the beneficiaries’ circumstances may have occurred.Part IV – FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
34. Establishment of the Fund
35. Sources of the Fund
36. Financial Year
The financial year of the Authority shall be the period of twelve months ending on the thirtieth June in each year.37. Annual Estimates
At least three months before the commencement of each financial year, the Authority shall cause to be prepared estimates of revenue and expenditure of the Authority for that year.38. Accounts and Audit
39. Investments of Funds
Part V – MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
40. Giving false information
A person commits an offence if the person knowingly—(a)makes a false or misleading statement in any application or report under this Act or makes an application or report that by reason of non disclosure of facts is false or misleading;(b)provides any person employed in the administration or enforcement of this Act with any statement or information that is false in any material part;(c)cashes a cheque for assistance to which the person is not entitled;(d)fails to report that the circumstances which caused the person to qualify for assistance have changed;(e)communicates or allows to be communicated to any person privileged information or allows a person to inspect or have access to a statement or other writing containing any such information; or(f)persistently refuses or neglects to maintain any other person for whose maintenance the person is liable.41. General Penalty
A person who is found guilty of an offence under this Act for which no penalty is expressly provided shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or to both such fine and imprisonment.42. Regulations
The Minister may make Regulations generally for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Act and, without limiting the generality of the forgoing, the Minister, may make Regulations—History of this document
19 August 2025
Repealed by
Social Protection Act, 2025
31 December 2022
Revised by
24th Annual Supplement
Read this version
01 March 2013 this version
25 January 2013
Commenced
14 January 2013
Assented to
Cited documents 0
Documents citing this one 10
Bench Bulletin 3
| 1. | Bench Bulletin - Issue 21 | |
| 2. | Bench Bulletin - Issue 22 | |
| 3. | Bench Bulletin - Issue 54 |
Gazette 3
| 1. | Kenya Gazette Vol. CXVI-No. 103 | |
| 2. | Kenya Gazette Vol. CXVI-No. 94 | |
| 3. | Kenya Gazette Vol. CXXIII-No. 250 |
Legal Notice 2
| 1. | The Statutory Instruments (Exemption from Expiry) Regulations | 1 citation |
| 2. | The Statutory Instruments (Exemption from Expiry) Regulations |
Act 1
| 1. | Persons with Disabilities Act | 2 citations |