This archive report was first published on 3 December 2019.
December 3, 2019
As the world marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Makueni County's Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) lamented the county's failure to address their grievances.
Chairperson of PLWDs Kibwezi Constituency Agnes Musembi expressed disappointment over the lack of information accessibility in the county, stating that most counties have not employed sign language interpreters six years since the start of devolution.
“We don’t get information in counties. We have brothers and sisters who have no gift of hearing, we only see sign language interpreters in media. We should leave no one behind,” said Musembi.
PLWDs also lamented their inability to access job slots stipulated in the law, with Musembi asking counties to follow the constitution while employing people in various departments.
Makueni County Chairperson for the Disabled Persons Benjamin Ngulu stated that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) had not captured their grievances, claiming they will only support it if it is amended to contain their advocacies on disability rights.
“If BBI will not address the issue of the disabled to be nominating their own to represent them in Parliament then we want to tell the president we will not support it. We want to be nominating our own people to Parliament, we don’t want nominations done through political parties. Nothing about us without us,” said Ngulu.
The group also took the Ministry of Education to task over the requirement for disabled children in special schools to pay school fees, while other children have their education fees cleared by the government.
“We do not have free primary education since our children in special schools are paying school fees. We need the process of free education to be reviewed. There is a need also to modify public buildings, structures among other places to be accessible to all,” said Ms. Agnes.
Makueni County Commissioner Maalim Mohammed assured the group that he will ensure they are mainstreamed in all decision-making committees.
The National Council for Persons Living with Disabilities promised to devolve PLWDs assessments to every county to know their exact numbers.
