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{
    "id": 497339,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/497339/?format=api",
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    "content": "competent and clever person could also become a disabled person in a matter of weeks. Therefore, everyone of us is a candidate and let us not say we are doing this for Sen. Njoroge or other people out there with disabilities. We are also doing it for ourselves because we do not know when that time will come. That time will come for us to say the bell tolls; it could be tolling for you; it could be tolling for Sen. Murungi or for some other person. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Bill before us seeks to implement Article 54 of the Constitution which clearly states that:- (1) A person with any disability is entitled–– (a) to be treated with dignity and respect and to be addressed and referred to in a manner that is not demeaning; (b) to access educational institutions and facilities for persons with disabilities that are integrated into society to the extent compatible with the interests of the person; (c) to reasonable access to all places, public transport and information; (d) to use Sign language, Braille or other appropriate means of communication; and (e) to access materials and devices to overcome constraints arising from the person’s disability. (2) The State shall ensure the progressive implementation of the principle that at least 5 percent of the members of the public in elective and appointive bodies are persons with disabilities. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, these are very fundamental, concrete and expansive rights. We should look at the structural discrimination that exists against people with disability. We might not think about it. But, for instance, now in our Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, we are discussing about the right to food and we are monitoring the distribution of emergency relief food to counties like Baringo and the others. What is shocking is that the most vulnerable groups – the people with disabilities – might die in their houses even when food is taken to those areas. This is because the food will be taken to the chief; the chief will call the people to a market and start distributing the food there. But who is that who comes for the food? It is the young people or the able-bodied people who will come and fight in the queues to be given the food. The people who really need this food are the people who cannot leave their houses; the disabled people. So, until we overcome those constraints by giving the food directly to those people in their houses, many of the disabled people are going to die despite our relief programmes. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when I used to be the Minister for Energy, my office was on the 19th Floor of Nyayo House. For the seven years that I was there, I never saw a disabled person in my office because they could not climb the stairs. There were also constraints because even getting to the first floor, where you can take the lift, was also a problem because you could not get there on a wheelchair. So, although we are saying that we are going to give five per cent of the jobs to the people with disability, unless you overcome those physical barriers, then it will not be possible for us to give them that 5 per cent of the jobs. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}