NGEC CEO Paul Kuria moderates a panel discussion on National strategy for supporting greater participation of women in elective politics/COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 17 – People with disabilities have not been fully represented in politics and are still highly marginalized in decision making in the country, according to the National Gender and Equality Commission.
The Chief Executive Officer at the Commission Paul Kuria said a lot still needs to be done to ensure that people with disabilities get full representation in politics and in the country’s development agendas as well.
“There are many opportunities to ensure optimal representation of people with disabilities, including amendments and legislation that needs to be passed to promote fair representation of people with disabilities among other vulnerable persons,” said Kuria.
He said it’s unfortunate that despite the constitutional requirement that every county nominates at least one person with disability, 17 counties did not nominate any person with disabilities into the county assemblies.
However a petition has been lodged in courts by the Commission seeking to quash the nomination lists of the 17 counties, which excluded persons with disabilities.
The case is set for hearing on November 20, 2017.
In the year 2013, at least 61 people with disabilities were nominated, a number which has declined to 42 in the year 2017.
According to the Constitution 5 per cent of opportunities should be reserved for people with disabilities.
There are over four million people living with disabilities in Kenya.
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