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{
    "id": 801628,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/801628/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 240,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "June 7, 2018 SENATE DEBATES 40 Sen. Mwangi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on this Motion. This is a self-explanatory Motion. It is not one that we should belabour to pursue to the Government to register those living with disabilities. Disability is not inability. If this Government can register 45 million Kenyans, why is it not able to register about 20 per cent or 30 per cent, out of the 45 million people who are living with disabilities? This is an exercise that should be done. I thank Sen. Khaniri for bringing this Motion to this House. We have heard the Senator from Kakamega articulating these issues because she knows them. These people should not be given conditions to be registered. They are human beings and Kenyans. They should just be registered. If the Government was waiting for a Motion like this one, it has come. They should now go ahead and register the people living with disabilities. Madam Temporary Speaker, PWDs are normally forgotten in some areas. Last year, 15 counties did not have a list of people living with disabilities nominated as MCAs. Some of us had to go to court. I went to court in Nyahururu because there was no PWD who was nominated as an MCA. This should not be repeated. These people are supposed to get the same advantages as those living without disability. Nobody chooses to be a PWD. It is a situation that just happens. Some people are born as PWDs, while some end up at as PWDs by virtue of what happens to them in life. We should not discriminate against those living with disability. In my view, registration should not be a big issue. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) should undertake to ensure that they know all those who are living with disability. These people are very able. Some of them can go a long way to develop the economy of this country more than those not living with disability. We should have a record of the PWDs. That is the only way forward. Some of us without disability assume that there are no PWDs amongst us. That is why we have this problem. Some selfish offices think that they can only deal with those who are able. The time has come when the PWDs should be recognized, their location and type of disability known by the Government. Madam Temporary Speaker, there should also be a fund to assist those who cannot participate so much in building the economy of this country. There should be a fund to assist those who cannot make money themselves or get involved in gainful employment. In some of the countries like the United States of America (USA), even the able people who are unable to earn a living are given money by the Government. I am not saying that we should go to that extent, but can we handle the issue of the PWDs and see to it that nobody goes hungry because of a disability. Nobody should go without shelter or clothing because they are living with a disability. Those who are able should pay taxes to cover the PWDs. It would not be a big deal to register about 40,000 to 50,000 people who are living with disability. The Government should have commitment to ensure that they are all registered. We should create offices for them, which will see to it that the PWDs are registered, just like we have registered 40 million people. I do not see the big deal in registering these people. Most of the PWDs live in abject poverty. While we enjoy our lives in Kenya, some of those living with disability are unable to enjoy life because they cannot afford to work and earn a living due to disability. Knowing that there are such 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."
}