{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=137661","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=137659","results":[{"id":1393011,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393011/?format=json","text_counter":180,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Hon. Wanjiku Muhia’s microphone was switched off)"},{"id":1393012,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393012/?format=json","text_counter":181,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Omboko Milemba","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":13328,"legal_name":"Jeremiah Omboko Milemba","slug":"jeremiah-omboko-milemba"},"content":" Hon. James Nyikal."},{"id":1393013,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393013/?format=json","text_counter":182,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Seme, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to contribute to this Report, which is extremely important because it is looking at Article 54 of the Constitution. Although it confines itself to Article 54(2) which is basically about employment of the 5 per cent which is required by institutions to offer PWDs, it needs, to some extent, to address the whole of Article 54 of the Constitution. There is no way we can attain the requirement of Article 54(2) if we do not look at Article 54(b), which states that access to educational institutions and facilities for persons with disabilities should be integrated in our education system. Education is key to being employed. There is no way we can think about getting 5 per cent if they do not address education. If you look at Article 54(c) of the Constitution, it talks about reasonable access to all places, public transport and information. How can one get a job and do it if they do not have physical access and access to information? Those are critical as a prerequisite. Article 54(d) talks about the use of sign language and braille. If one cannot communicate or read materials, how will one get access to employment? This Report is talking about Article 54(2) but the truth is that it must address the whole of Article 54 of the Constitution. 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"},{"id":1393014,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393014/?format=json","text_counter":183,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Seme, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal","speaker":null,"content":"There is an attempt to do this if you look at the Report on its observations in paragraph 5.2, which clearly indicates which challenges need to be addressed. For example, paragraph 5.2.1 says that all institutions should construct ramps to aid mobility. Those includes schools and workplaces. Even public facilities like toilets must be made accessible. In training institutions, if there is no sign language… I know that sign language became a national language during the process of coming up with the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. Only the media industry, particularly television networks, have implemented this appropriately. I sit in meetings and do not know whether this is implemented in schools. We need to have braille for every blind person. Sometimes, people see talking lifts and think it is modernisation. This is a requirement and some lifts have braille and people have not noticed this. The Report also indicates about mainstreaming of disabilities in all institutions. Whatever we do, if all institutions do not put this in place and monitor the requirements of PWDs, there is no way we shall achieve the employment percentage we are looking for. I have looked at this Report and the recommendations it has put in place. They have said that within three months, all public institutions should review human resource policies to enhance the representation of PWDs. That can only happen if, in the first place, you have enabled and capacity-built PWDs by giving them the provisions they require in learning institutions, way before. Within six months, in consultation with other stakeholders, there will be a review of the Disability Act. This is extremely important and I know there is an effort to review this Act - and this must be done. I want to summarise by saying that, mainstreaming is extremely important, so that we can have a proper process of registration of PWDs…."},{"id":1393015,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393015/?format=json","text_counter":184,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal’s microphone was switched off)"},{"id":1393016,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393016/?format=json","text_counter":185,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Omboko Milemba","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":13328,"legal_name":"Jeremiah Omboko Milemba","slug":"jeremiah-omboko-milemba"},"content":" Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi."},{"id":1393017,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393017/?format=json","text_counter":186,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Kwanza, FORD-K","speaker_title":"Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me this opportunity. At the outset, I stand to support this Motion. First and foremost, disability is not inability or sickness. When one is disabled, it does not mean they are unable. One can do quite a number of things because they are not sick, but physically disabled. We have all witnessed in our lives that those people are God’s creation. For example, in my constituency, I have hired two disabled fellows and they are very hardworking and sharp. If I have something that I want to be done, I normally send them. Therefore, disability is not inability or sickness. They should be given equal opportunity to work. Secondly, there are people who discriminate against them. Just because somebody is disabled or is in a wheel chair, they cannot employ them; while that person has the ability to work even better than a managing director! People should know that it does not matter if somebody is disabled, because most of those people are very sharp. In my family, there is a disabled person and he is doing very well as a teacher. Above all, his children are very sharp. In fact, one child is undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree, while another got an opportunity to work in Germany. When you look at their father, you cannot believe that those are his children. As much as God has not given them the ability to do one or two things physically, those people are very sharp. This Report has come at the right time. We want to take this opportunity to encourage institutions, schools and other areas to provide ramps for the persons with disability. The engineers should construct ramps for persons with disability to enable them to enjoy with the rest. There was a time I gave a contractor a contract to build a storey building for a secondary school, but he did not make a provision for persons with disability. I told him that although we 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"},{"id":1393018,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393018/?format=json","text_counter":187,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Kwanza, FORD-K","speaker_title":"Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi","speaker":null,"content":"did not have a disabled student at that time, we could in future have those who cannot walk to the first floor. I told him that he will now have to construct a ramp at his cost. The Report has come at the right time and we should assist those who are disabled. We should have institutions for the blind and deaf. I wholly support it. Thank you"},{"id":1393019,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393019/?format=json","text_counter":188,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Omboko Milemba","speaker_title":"Hon. Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":13328,"legal_name":"Jeremiah Omboko Milemba","slug":"jeremiah-omboko-milemba"},"content":" Hon. Irene Mayaka."},{"id":1393020,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393020/?format=json","text_counter":189,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Nominated, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. Irene Mayaka","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. As a Member of the Committee of National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity, I stand to support the Report. First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our able leadership led by the Chairman, Hon. Yussuf Adan and our Vice-Chairlady, Hon. Liza Chelule, for the comprehensive Report from the Committee. I would like to point out some of the observations that we made while interviewing some of the public institutions. Article 54(2) of our Constitution provides that the ideal percentage for persons with disability in public institutions should be 5 per cent. Out of the 39 institutions that we interviewed, 24 fell short of that compliance; that is a total of 61 per cent of those interviewed which gives you an average of 2.1 per cent of the persons with disability employed in our public institutions. One of the things that we noticed is the lack of an adequate and comprehensive policy in those institutions that lay out the requirements for them to have persons with disability there. The other issue was limited outreach. Every institution that we interviewed told us that they did not have enough persons with disability coming for the interviews. We also noticed that there was lack of adequate staff with adequate training on sign language or how to handle persons with disability. When you look at the Report, you will notice some uniqueness because we did not just give recommendations, but we gave a timeline for each one of them. For instance, we clearly indicated that in three months’ time, public institutions should have human resource policies that directly speak to issues in reference to persons with disability. We also asked those institutions if they had taken into consideration speaking to Members of Parliament or constituency offices which have database for persons with disability within their constituencies. We recommended to the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) to check their database once more, and compare notes with Members of Parliament to ensure that their database is updated to have a reflection of all the 290 constituencies. They should ensure that they have all persons with disability in their records. We also recommended proactive registration of the database and updating the same. As a Committee, we recommended that it should be done in three months. Therefore, we will again check with the NCPWD to ensure that their records are up to date. Hon. Temporary Speaker, another recommendation that we strongly considered was the collaboration of public institutions with health insurance. This was occasioned by the fact that health insurance coverage fund did not take into consideration how expensive it is for persons with disability to acquire their mobility tools like wheelchairs and crutches. Most insurance funds do not cover this. Finally, I want to encourage persons with disability that we have had so many success stories of persons with disability who have confirmed that disability is not inability. Therefore, mine is just to urge them to ensure that they are registered with the National Council for Persons with Disability and the Offices of Members of Parliament to ensure that their records are updated. They should communicate effectively with the Council so that they are given those opportunities whenever they arise. I submit and support the Report."}]}