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{
    "id": 1267114,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1267114/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 307,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Crystal Asige",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The principal object of this Bill is to repeal the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2003 and have in place a law that is consistent with our Constitution. The Bill places emphasis on human rights approach towards the realization of the rights of PWDs. The Bill also sets out the obligations of both the national and county governments in line with the Constitution of 2010, to ensure that the county obligations are delineated towards the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution. The Bill also incorporates the provisions of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), as well as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. Currently, there is no legal framework that sets out the obligations of county governments with regards to PWDs. This Bill, therefore, seeks to impose obligations on each level of government to address the needs of PWDs in line with Article 54 of our Constitution. Under this Bill, the national Government is mandated to, among other functions, develop policies on the protection of PWDs and promote integration of PWDs in education institutions, healthcare and the justice system. It will also promote the inclusion of PWDs in employment in the public service and implement preferential procurement measures for entities managed by PWDs. The implementation of the above is vital as it is crucial to avail resources to make it easy for inclusion and integration of PWDs in all services. Let us take the healthcare system as an example. There are cases where a deaf person goes to hospital and receives a prescription that says, “2 x 3.” To you and me, that seems a straightforward instruction. It means take two tablets three times a day. That would be a wrong assumption in this case. That is what we call ableism. Without a trained sign language interpreter present to communicate the prescription, the deaf patient may calculate simple mathematics; two times three and think they should take six tablets at once. Such mistakes can have serious consequences that we cannot ignore. This is just one example of many layered challenges that person with diverse disabilities face across different sectors on a daily basis. On the other hand, county governments are mandated to, among other functions; implement the National Policy and Strategy on PWDs, which I understand is being drafted by the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD); allocate adequate resources to programmes targeting PWDs and develop mechanisms for identification and registration of PWDs residing in each county. The 2019 Census estimated the population of PWDs at around 900,000 people. This was a sharp reduction in the number of PWDs, in comparison to 10-years prior census of 2009, which recorded approximately over 1.3 million PWDs. That left a discrepancy of around 400,000 PWDs. Census discrepancy can suppress PWDs inclusion in view of equitable budget allocation towards inclusive development. It should be noted that these numbers are not actually broken into counties. It is a huge gap that needs legislative interventions. As I like to say, if you do not count it, it does not count. However, this Bill will bridge the gap. Madam Temporary Speaker, I would like to highlight the utmost significance of inter-agency relations, recognizing that the NCPWD cannot operate effectively in isolation."
}