On 21st March 2024, the spouse of the Deputy President Pastor Dorcas Rigathi visited a school of children with disabilities. This visit brought into sharp focus the lack of equipped education facilities for those with disabilities in TransNzoia County.
This was at the Precious Kids Centre in Waumini, Kiminini Constituency where children attend school – 115 children as boarders and 20 day scholar. The event was also attended by members of the community.
During the event, 300 children were assessed for disability where 205 were found to have physical disabilities, 30 mental disability, 40 autism, 22 Down syndrome, and 10 other chronic diseases.
Pastor Dorcas advocated for the right infrastructure in schools to make life comfortable for those with special needs, and also higher capitation allocation.
“Higher capitation allocation needed because children who are differently abled have more needs, including special infrastructure like toilets,” said Pastor Dorcas. She called on Kenyans to show compassion to those with disabilities.
“For far too long, people who are differently abled have been looked down upon, forgotten and neglected and sometimes hidden from the public. However, Disability is not inability. We must treat those with disability like we would like to be treated. We must also teach our children to dignify and care for those with disabilities. Let us pass on these life-changing values of compassion and care to the next generation,” she said.
Senator Allan Chesang proposed the establishment of an ICT hub specially installed to cater for the diverse needs of those with disabilities. He said with the right training, those with disabilities could do great things in information technology and innovation.
Area MCA Lusweti Furaha also decried the lack of a secondary school for those with disabilities in the area, and the minimal allocation for the education of those with disabilities.
TransNzoia Woman Represetative Lillian Siyoi agreed with the MCA saying the money allocated to those with disabilities was a small ration in comparison to their needs. She also called on government to consider allocating a stipend for caregivers of those with disabilities.
“TransNzoia needs a vocational centre that can accommodate those with intellectual disability, physical disability and other disabilities after their initial learning so for their skills advancement,” said Director of Disabilities in the County Pamela Akelo.
The CEC Health, Pepela Wanjala, said the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Report indicated the County had 19,000 PWDs, but only 12,000 were registered according to data in their possession. “We have a plan to do assessment across TransNzoia County and ensure the gap of 7,000 unregistered is filled,” said Mr Wanjala.
Present were the Special Olympics Kenya TransNzoia Team of those with intellectual disabilities led by Rhoda Keitany and National Chairman Thuo Cege, and pupils of ‘Mitoto Vocation for the Visually Impaired Centre’.
The visually impaired pupils presented a song that said, “Opportunity is what I need but not sympathy. The blind in Kenya need opportunity but not sympathy.”
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