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By Isabella Maua
Persons living with disabilities in the Mt Elgon region have decried marginalization from government-related development programs, especially at the grassroots ward level.
In a special meeting with the men and women living with different forms of disabilities convened by KAREU MPYA at Kaptama on Wednesday, they said that like their counterparts, they need leadership slots from ward level to the national government on merit but not mercy.
Isaac Weswa from Kibuk observed that they have been neglected in many instances, the most recent being the NACDP project in Elgon ward, where no PWD representative has been included.
“On some occasions, we can be lucky to get at least one slot for the PWD, but this time we haven’t been lucky; the National Agriculture Value Chain Development Project hasn’t considered any of us,” bemoaned Weswa.
Lily Barasa from Kaptama called upon the government, especially the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC), to put in place PWD-friendly infrastructure to accommodate them in the election process.
“We also need the jobs offered by IEBC, but what of the structures at the polling centers? Do we even have a sign language interpreter? For those who can’t move to the polling centres, can the government aid their transportation?” inquired Barasa.
Godfrey Chesebe from Kaborom bemoaned that they have undergone greater challenges when it comes to money transfers since they have been categorized according to the severity of the condition.
“There is no need to separate us when it comes to cash transfers; just empower all of us equally and also prioritize our children when it comes to the disbursement of bursaries,” he noted.
Emily Chesebe from Kibuk also beseeched the government and well-wishers to come to the rescue of the physically challenged colleagues, especially those in dire need of wheel chairs and white canes for the visually impaired.
“We have our fellows who use artificial legs, but the ones from Jaipul have proved to be very heavy, causing pain at the point of contact. The challenge is that the lighter ones from Kijabe are very costly,” observed Chesebe.
She further cited that some visually impaired colleagues who cannot afford white canes use bamboo sticks, which at times break, causing more harm when they fall on the ground and sustain injuries.
Conclusively, Dickson Nandi of KAREU MPYA assured the PWD fraternity that their concerns have been captured, and in their capacity, they’ll ensure the matters are taken into consideration with the relevant authorities.