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{
    "id": 1491059,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1491059/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 176,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Omtatah",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Recently, I got a Petition from Narok town in Narok County, of people living with invisible disabilities, and how they are having problems being recognized and being assisted. Through this Bill, I have no doubt that we will be able to address this important issue that is touching on the livelihoods of important Kenyans. I would urge that we give this Bill the support and attention it requires, and the Senate goes out of its way to ensure that maximum resources are availed to address the question of disability. Even in schools, we have had kids who have performed poorly because they have disabilities of sight that are invisible. Perhaps, they are not seeing what the teacher is teaching on the blackboard, or not hearing well. These kids sometimes are classified as stupid and dumb, yet they are challenged in terms of being able to comprehend, just by the census, what is going on. Maybe we will need also to have assessments early in life, to establish these disabilities in school, so that these kids can be adequately supported. Sometimes, some of these disabilities when arrested early, as they begin to develop, can be mitigated. The Bill may need to look at how do we mitigate and go out to identify these disabilities that maybe gradually get to a point where they are not reversible, but maybe if identified early, they can be reversed. That is one thing I would appreciate this particular Bill to do. I congratulate Sen. Asige, the strong lady who stands on her principles. She has demonstrated that not once, but many times and is passionately committed to the constituency that elected her through special nomination into this august House. I am very proud to be in the same House with Sen. Asige. We remember that, recently, she was voted among the top 100 honchos in the world. We are sitting with one very strong person in this Senate. It is not by fluke or accident that she has done what she has done. It is very deliberate and focused and is aimed at solving major problem in this country. I had the opportunity of employing one of my workers in the constituency office who has visual disability. However, she is one of my top performers because she is a stickler for detail and she performs very well. Sometimes you might think that somebody is disabled just by looking at them, but there are other abilities that come in. Now the question is: How do we harness these special abilities that people have? How do we facilitate and equip them to be the best they can? That is the challenge that we have. I think as a country that makes law, and as a country of law, we have the obligation and the duty to go out of our way and make sure that these very critical members of society are facilitated and are enabled to do the best they can. Last Sunday when I was going to my church at Don Bosco Catholic Church, the Gospel of Mark was read. According to the Gospel, there was this blind person by the name Bartimaeus who heard that Jesus was somewhere. He began calling out. The crowd around him tried to shut him down and do whatever to hold him. He persisted, and in his persistence, Christ told him his faith had saved him. So that question of marginalisation of people with disability can be seen in the Gospel of Mark. He was being denied the chance to reach the Christ. He had heard of the Christ around, but he could not reach him. The only thing he had was a voice, but even The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}