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{
    "id": 443724,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/443724/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 271,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, a first class country can never have a second class citizen. That, indeed, is our mantra at the Joint Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity; we look at everything to make sure that every Kenyan, no matter their status, where they come from, their physical abilities and ethnicity gets equal opportunities in this country. I commend the hon. Member for bringing this Bill. For a long time, people living with physical challenges have not been able to really feel that they are in the mainstream of our political, social and economic life in this country. That has also been the case with the youth and women in many respects. I would like to commend this House for overwhelmingly passing the Bill that I brought to this House to ensure that 30 per cent of all Government procurement goes to youth, women and people with disabilities. About one month-and-a-half ago the Joint Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity undertook a study tour to the USA to look at issues of both cohesion and equal opportunities. One of the Members of the Committee, Senator Omondi, did not want to come back. This was because in the USA they have taken it upon themselves, very deliberately, to address issues of people living with disabilities not as a by the way, but as a matter of priority. Every pavement in the USA has a ramp. This is in the law. You cannot have a pavement which somebody with a wheelchair cannot access. Every bus in the USA used for public transport must have a door of a certain width, so that if somebody has a wheelchair they can access the bus. The law prohibits discrimination on those grounds even by those offering public transport. I would like to inform the House and the Member that the Joint Committee is working on a Bill for access by persons with disabilities. We have had very many embarrassing situations even where Members of Parliament cannot access facilities. I have heard it being discussed it here. We actually are currently doing investigations. We had a complaint in the media; Bishop Jackson Kosgey alleged to have been mistreated by one of our airlines, Fly 540 – I can mention names because this matter is in the public domain. We have been having hearings not just to take retributive action--- We have also listened to the Kenya Airports Authority, the Bishop and the management of the airline to agree on the best way to provide facilities, and on who is to provide those facilities among hotels, airlines, public buildings or even this Parliament. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, you might be aware that when hon. (Ms.) Ghati got injured, she could no longer access the House Business Committee room because there was no way she could get there on a wheelchair. We need to think very critically on the proactive measures we need to take to provide equal opportunities for people The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}