President Uhuro Kenyatta who his government has neglected the welfare of the disabled.
BY SAM ALFAN.
President Kenyatta’s government has neglected the welfare of the disabled, survey says.
Kenya National Commission of Human Right (KNCHR) conducted the inquiry and is recommending that to rectify the situation, the government ought to first create a data base for people with disabilities.
According to the report, Kenyan government is unable to plan and or initiate projects to empower the disabled in the country.
The study carried out in Mandera and Taita Taveta counties also recommends that the data base be classified into different kinds of disabilities.
It was based on kit 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which Kenya has domesticated.
While releasing the survey, KNCHR Deputy CEO Evelyne Samba said people with disabilities should be sensitized about their rights and allowed to enjoy them as provided for in law.
Ms Samba said that government officers and Kenyans in general do not understand the rights of people with disabilities to make informed decisions.
She said there is need for Kenyans to be sensitized about the right for persons with disabilities to make decisions.
In addition, the study found out that there is confusion between legal capacity and mental capacity.
“Legal capacity is normally confused with mental capacity which is decision making skills of a person which naturally differ from person to person and the quality of a decision made by a person depends on social factors and environmental factors,” said Ms Samba.
Ms Suzanne Shatikha Chivusia, from the commission said the disabled should be supported to make decisions based on their will and preference and called on policy makers both at the county and national government to adopt Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
