The Africa Pioneer of Policy for the Disabled, Kenya

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

 

 

Kenya, while harmonizing with several tribes for long time, still remains a tradition that Kenyans consider the body’s physical health as the best virtue.

 

Either inborn or acquired disabled were considered to be a bad omen, Kenyans stamped them with a social label and tended to exclude them from society.

 

 

 

 

(Picture: Ohmynews)

 

 

 

However, because it was a colony of Kenya, modern Kenya inherited the culture of England’s Law system. So, the disbled discrimination is strictly prohibited by the law. Kenya is one of the best countries in keeping with the welfare policy in Africa.

 

 

Let’s take a look at the employment policies and laws for the disabled.

 

 

 

 

Current state of Kenya disabled people

 

In 2016, the total population in Kenya is about 44 million, 10% of them, 4 million, are disabled people.

 

 

(Source : Kenya National Bureau of Statistics)

 

 

 

26.2% of them, which is the most, have a physical disability

following 19.09% have a visual disability, and 12.4% are verbally disabled, while 8% are cognitively disabled and the others are 24% miscellaneous disabilities.

 

 

67% of the disabled people, 2.97 million can not lead the normal economic activity and barely make a living in the low income class.

 

 

 

 

Kenya Government’s Policy for Disabled People

 

 

To support the welfare, Kenya’s Government has declared the first year of a welfare policy for the disabled people since 1980. It has started special education for the first time since 1983.

 

 

The government has founded the ‘United Disabeld Persons Of Kenya’ in 1989, and finally enacted ‘Persons with Disabilities Act’ in 2003.

 

 

By 2010, the government admitted the ‘Right of Disabled People’ as a constitutional right. Hereby, Kenya could establish the policy frame of the welfare for the handicapped.

(source : http://www.globaldisabilityrightsnow.org)

 

 

According to Kenyan law, to promote the employment for the disabled, it is stated that all employers have a statutory duty to ensure at least 5% of the all employees hired are disabled or handicapped persons.

 

Because of this policy, the 33.3% of Kenyan disabled people, 1.48million are now being hired,

and also it has made Kenya among to the top ranks of Africa for employing disabled persons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Council for Persons with Disabilities

 

In 2003, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities has been established as a General Agency of the welfare for the handicapped by the newly enacted Persons with Disabilities Act. 

 

 

 

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(Picture : The Standard)

  

 

 

 

 

 

For ‘One step to the discrimination-free society for the handicapped’, this organization promotes the handicapped persons right, and arranges job education and job placement.

 

 

 

(Picture: NCPWD JOB PLACEMENT PORTAL webpage)

 

Also, they opened an

employment web portal service ‘NCPWD Job Placement Portal’ which specialized in disabled people and are helping companies systematically recruit the handicapped.

 

 

 

NCPWD operates not only the portal but the offical blog to promote the national policy related to the handicapped and to lead to the high company participation.

 

 

 

Prologue

 

 

Though compared to the developed countries, such as Europe, those policies are not enough Kenya is still the one of the finest countries operating decent polices for the handicapped in Africa.

In the barren land of the welfare for the handicapped, there is much attention toward handicapped rights expansion.