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{
    "id": 961043,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/961043/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I want to congratulate my fellow Sen. for PWDs, Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve for this Motion. I am very deliberate because in terms of nomenclature, we are the only two Senators who represent PWDs. People like referring to others as nominated Senators. However, the Constitution anticipates Senators for women, youth and PWDs. That is what we call ourselves because it is not by coincidence that we are in this House. There is always the baggage of how nominations used to happen before without any attendant constituency. That is something we need to correct. Madam temporary Speaker, sometimes people may ask why we are saying that disabled persons should get an extra five years when they are working. If we look at delayed milestones, when a child is born with disability or if you acquire your disability even when you are a grown up, it will take some time before you recover. That time needs to be compensated. Children with disabilities stay for long without joining school because sometimes they are not seen as educable. If you look at it from a utilitarian point of view, parents would rather take another child to school, because they think that child will be more beneficial. Even if we were to contextualize this within gender, you will find people saying “ msichana ataolewa.” Disabled children are not seen to be useful. As a result, most of them start school late. Part of the reason is that some of them will not be accepted in certain schools. We have had to deal with so many cases of children who have been denied access to school. I have had to personally intervene in some cases. It is not just at the primary level; it goes all the way to the university. Even with C-plus being the minimum university requirement, I have had to push for some students to get access to university. Some of them have gone ahead and graduated, but they are older than their colleagues. The retirement age is some form of reparation. It should be increased by five years to assuage the effect of this loss. That is the principle so that Senators can understand where this is coming from. In this Senate, there is a young lady who is employed here. She was not born disabled, but last year she was involved in an accident whereby she lost her husband and her leg. She has just reported back to work, but she is still adapting. Her name is Rebecca Maranto. This is a clear example that this can affect any one of us. When we are talking about disability, we are trying to cushion that eventuality if it were to happen. In fact, most of the time we say that disability is a club and anybody can be a member. The Persons with Disabilities Act No.14 of 2003 provides for reservation of employment to PWDs under Section 13. However, that 5 per cent reservation that is strengthened by Article 54(2) is progressive and not mandatory. We have seen a higher number of PWDs retiring from public service. If you were to compare the ratio with those The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}