International Day of Older Persons is meant to celebrate senior citizens aged 60 years and above. In Kilifi County, the senior citizens came together to celebrate this day and share their experiences and challenges they are facing in the community.

This year’s Theme, “Older Persons Driving Local and Global Action: Our Aspirations, Our Well-Being and Our Rights” reminds the older generation that they matter and they are heard.  The theme sort to highlight the transformative role older persons play in building resilient and equitable societies. Far from being passive beneficiaries, older persons are drivers of progress, contributing their knowledge and experience in areas such as health equity, financial well-being, community resilience, and human rights advocacy.

Speaking during the celebration, Kilifi County Deputy Governor Flora Mbetsa encouraged the senior citizens to know their rights and ensure they fight and speak  out to ensure their rights are respected.

The first committee to deal with the older people was launched last year in Kilifi County and it is working to identify the older people, where they are and their needs. A report will be compiled and presented this month as the committee will be celebrating one year to weigh the work it has done during this period.

The older people are facing a lot of challenges in the community. Nzigo Masha, a senior citizen from Sokoni Ward highlighted that as old people, they are fighting discrimination in the community. Many people in the community associate old age with witchcraft and this has made many old people being discriminated, abandoned by families and others even murdered due to such allegations.

Elias Kitsao, an employee of Madika Rescue Center, reported of an elderly man who was amputated both hands. Unfortunately, he was the only witness to the act and this has delayed his journey to justice. The culprit is still in the streets of Mombasa while the victim’s health is dwindling.

In 2025, KSh24 million was given to registered elderly persons in Kilifi to empower themselves and start businesses that can help them in their old age. Flora Mbetsa encouraged more old people to form groups and register themselves in order to apply for the Wezesha Fund and Uzima Fund. She insisted more on the men because data shows very few men are applying for these funds.

The CECM for Gender, Culture and Sports Development Kilifi County, Dr Ruth Dama,  encouraged the community to play their role of taking care of the older people and ensuring they get basic needs. The older people are not meant to take the burden of taking care of grandchildren and fending for themselves, “it is high time the old people sit down and enjoy old age benefits,” Dr Dama said.

The senior citizens bonded and interacted with officials from Kilifi County as well as being enlightened. “It is a curse to ignore and abandon our aged parents who took care of us in our times of need,”said Mbetsa.