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{
    "id": 1166382,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1166382/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 180,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, these are things we must do. Disability has changed over time. At some point, it was seen as a medical issue but now it is more of a human rights issue. If we all went outside of the Kenya International Conference Centre (KICC) and there were no stairs, there would be no difference between you and somebody who is abled differently on a wheelchair. All of us would not get up. Going up the KICC has been made possible by the stairs and lifts. In the same way, there needs to be complete provision. I remember we were reviewing the Building Code. I do not know whether this is something Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve can take up. There is an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification of all public buildings. Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) have that standard. All public facilities including schools must have certain widths, lengths of entrances, ramps and access for persons with special needs including schools. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I remember we were discussing it in the last Parliament when I was in the House Business Committee (HBC) when one of our colleague and Member, Hon. Denittah Ghati became disabled. We then realized that somebody with a disability cannot get to the first floor of this Parliament. There were no lifts to the First Floor of Parliament building. You could only use the staircase. Hon. Ghati could not get up stairs to the meeting room as a Member of the HBC. We need to be more proactive and think beyond of what these children need; they only need a fair chance at life. Once given this chance, you will find a lot of greatness in them. Some of the most brilliant inventors and musicians had dyslexia and others autism. That is because they are abled differently. When one sensory organ is subdued, others come up. If you use colour or music, you produce amazing products. Thank you, Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve and Sen. (Prof.) Kamar for this Bill. I support it completely. I will look into it to see if it needs any amendment. I also ask Hon. Members to expedite on such legislation. Both the National and County Governments do not need a law to tell them what to do. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, you cannot legislate on humanity or basic common sense and decency on what we need to do for our children. The quality of our schools right now, it is really wanting yet the Ministry of Education gets the bulk of our budget together with other Ministries. Since people have refused to be proactive, that is why Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve has to create such a law. I do not think it is over-legislation as my colleague, Sen. Olekina said. It is appropriate and we should implement it. Thank you."
}