Francisca Achieng' at her home in Ligega Sub Location, Ugenya, Siaya County on March 13, 2025.
Francisca Achieng’ Auma 85, a disabled widow residing in Ombwede Village in Siaya County thought that her life would be comfortable after she successfully enrolled and began receiving funds meant for People With Disability (PWD), three years ago.
However, this never happened after her caretaker outsmarted her and for two consecutive years pocketed the monthly stipends disbursed through the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya (NFDK). The funds are meant to cushion the PWDs
When Nation.Africa visited Ms Achieng’ at her home in Ombwede, Ligega sub-location, the widow, who lives alone, looked dejected and withdrawn.
Francisca Achieng' at her home in Ligega Sub Location, Ugenya, Siaya County on March 13, 2025.
She sat under a dried bougainvillea tree offering patched shadows on a sunny afternoon, her ramshackled hut standing in the middle of the homestead amplifying the level of abject poverty Ms Achieng’ was living in.
A traditional three stone stove next to the house, a stained pot on it with dried white porridge told a sorry state of affairs. Her wrinkled face and sunken eye sockets spoke of a woman struggling to make ends meet amid acute scarcity and deep seated economic hardship.
According to Ms Achieng’, a caretaker who used to assist her during her monthly trips to Ukwala to receive the NFDK stipend would carry her on a motorbike to the centre to collect the funds.
“The first time he took me there I paid Sh1,000 out of the Sh12,000 that I received for the fare. The second and the third time I also paid him for the services,” recalls the widow who crawls on her fours to get to places.
However, one day, she says, the caretaker took her documents saying he was going to help her update her details with NFDK. Since that time Ms Achieng says she has never received the funds.
“One particular month, which I remember vividly, I was bereaved; I had lost my in-law and it coincided with the day I was to collect the money. He took me there as usual, but to my shock, the amount had been reduced to Sh4,000. I did not pay for transport that day because I was in a financial crisis due to the funeral expenses. I explained to him,” she narrated.
After that Ms Achieng’ says that she never saw the money again.
"He came and informed me that there was a problem with my name, that it couldn't be traced on the register. He asked for my documents again to fix the anomaly, and I obliged. Since then whenever I ask him about the money he would tell me to be patient,” says Ms Achieng’.
It took the efforts of a Good Samaritan to realise that for two years, the caretaker had been withdrawing money from her account without her knowledge.
Francisca Achieng' at her home in Ligega Sub Location, Ugenya, Siaya County on March 13, 2025.
“One of the members of the community asked me one time when he visited me whether I was receiving funds from NFDK. When I told him that I don't, he inquired with NFDK and discovered that my caretaker had been receiving the funds,” she said.
Her step-son, Benedict Okoth now wants the authorities to take up the matter and ensure that the disabled widow gets justice.
“This is unacceptable in our society. Imagine an old widow who is handicapped being subjected to such a treatment,” he lamented.
Mr Okoth blames a local administrator for protecting the suspect because they are related.
“The caretaker is the brother of a local chief and this is the advantage he has taken to swindle the poor lady. Sometimes they go as far as threatening the widow,” he added.
Ligega sub-location assistant chief Sylvester Otieno told Nation.Africa that the matter was already under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officers attached to Ukwala Police Station.
“When the matter reached my desk the first thing I did was to replace the caretaker with someone trusted by the granny. So we already have a new caretaker who will remit the money to the old widow anytime the funds are disbursed,” said Mr Otieno.
“I reported the matter to the police and the DCI are actively investigating it, the findings will inform the next course of action,” Mr Otieno added.
He called on the beneficiaries to constantly visit the offices and inquire whenever there was any inconsistency with the funds.
“It's been two years and yet no complaint was filed at the sub-chief’s office or even in the barazas that we often hold within the sub-location. It is imperative to constantly ask the administration whenever such things occur,” he urged.
