The Kirinyaga County Persons With Disability Bill, 2023 has this morning been read a second time; marking significant progress in the legislative interventions to protect and empower persons living with disability in the county.
The bill which is spearheaded by the committee on Gender and Youth that is chaired by Hon. Benson Ngahu seeks to provide for rights and rehabilitation of Persons Living With Disabilities with a view to improving their living standards and mainstreaming activities that seek to improve their welfare.
The key provisions of the bill include:
- 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: The board will be responsible for among others formulating and developing policies to achieve equal opportunities for persons with disability, ensuring caption of accurate data of PWDS by the County and National Government for purposes of planning and resource allocation, assisting persons with disability in accessing legal justice as well as advice the CEC member on the welfare and rehabilitation of persons with disability.
- 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆; persons living with disability shall not be discriminated in employment, education opportunities, access to medical facilities and shall be entitled to a barrier free and disability friendly environment to enable them have access to buildings, roads and other social amenities.
- 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱: the fund will provide funding to interventions identified by communities and other stakeholders to support persons living with disabilities.
The bill received wide spread support from the MCAs with specially elected MCA Hon. Harrison Kariuki calling for the full inclusion and support of Persons Living With Disability. He called for full implementation of the provisions of the bill once enacted to empower PWDs escape the dependency syndrome.
On her part Hon. Beatrice Mitaru lauded the provision by the bill to have qualified persons with disability nominated and appointed to all institutions , projects and programs, committees or boards that legally require public representation and participation.
The bill which was unanimously supported by the MCAs now sails to the third reading with amendments as proposed during the committee of the whole house.