International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Kenya

President Uhuru Kenyatta was the Chief Guest in 3rd December's International Day of Persons with Disabilities held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi. In the history of the commemorations, this is the first time a Head of State has graced the event.

The President stated that the Day provides an opportunity for the country to reflect on the journey traveled in enhancing disability inclusion, and also take stock of areas that require more work. In his address, President issued the following directives:

1. That the Attorney General, Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs and Special Programmes hasten the process of reviewing the Persons with Disabilities Act 2003 and have the bill enacted by Parliament during the life of the current Parliament.
2. That the Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs and Special Programmes ensures the process of registering persons with disabilities under the new registration system is provided at NO COST. He also appealed for county governments to consider waiving the cost of assessment in gazetted health facilities, which is a requirement for registration.
3. That the Ministry of Health fast-tracks the integration of rehabilitation services at all levels of our Healthcare system - including policy and in the Universal Health Coverage.
4. That the Ministries of Health and Education ensure progressive increase in human resource for rehabilitation in the national and county level, and also support institutions of higher learning develop capacity for training of rehabilitation personnel.

The President also launched the new Digital Registration System developed by the National Council for Persons With Disabilities this year, aimed at addressing data gaps and curbing cases of fraud. The system will also offer a new generation disability identification card with security features to prevent potential fraud and ensure the right people get registered.

The President also launched the Status Report on Disability Inclusion in Kenya 2021.

The President’s speech is also available on YouTube.

The new national strategy for AT and Rehabilitation, delivered under AT2030's subprogram 6 on Driving Affordability and Availability of AT, will be instrumental to deliver on these directives.

Authored by Sifuna at the Clinton Health Access Initiative

For further information, please contact Naomi.thompson@ucl.ac.uk