A multi-agency team led by the National Council for Persons with Disabilities has begun verifying the eligibility of persons with disabilities for tax exemption.
Speaking during the two-day exercise at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital, NCPWD Chief Executive Officer Dr. Michael Munene said the nationwide exercise is aimed at providing tax relief for PWDs in formal and informal employment as stipulated under the Act for Persons with Disabilities.
“This is an exercise to verify persons with disabilities who have applied for tax exemption, that is, those in formal or informal employment as well as those who are involved in income generating activities which allow for relief on matters tax,” Dr. Munene explained.
The CEO noted the month-long activity had commenced in Kisii, which is a strategic region serving more than seven neighbouring counties and the team had vetted more than 400 persons.
He lauded the verification team for the successful collaboration and urged persons with disabilities to take advantage of the opportunity to apply for tax exemption in the designated 12 counties where the exercise will be conducted.
The CEO added they are in the final stages of operationalizing the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2025 which will advance human rights as well as restructure enforcement through the NCPWD.
“There are three major regulations that we have developed, the registration of persons and organizations for PWDs, adjustment orders and the tax exemption regulation which actually has a big impact on the ongoing exercise,” noted Dr. Munene.
He said that NCPWD was in further discussions with the Kenya Revenue Authority regarding the tax exemption for PWDs and their caregivers before the document can be rolled out for public participation.
“We are very grateful that Kisii is one of the centers that is conducting the tax exemption exercise, being that it is surrounded by a number of counties, and the exercise has been seamless despite one or two challenges at the beginning,” said James Esekon, NCPWD officer in charge of Kisii County.
His counterpart, Gabriella Ogom noted the verification exercise involved assessing the registration of persons with disability, proof of income and whether they are tax compliant.
She said the Ministry of Health was in charge of assessing the disability status while KRA reviewed tax compliance for persons with disabilities.
Ogom, who is in charge of tax exemption and registration in Kisii, said that PWDs who fail to meet the eligibility criteria during the exercise will be allowed to appeal the decision of the assessment team to ensure their rights are safeguarded.
She added the tax exemption exercise had been digitized via the e-Citizen platform and once a PWD had submitted an application, they were required to turn up for the physical assessment.
“The registration of persons with disabilities and tax exemption processes have been on board in the e-Citizen platform as part of the government’s bottom-up economic transformation agenda of digitizing government services,” noted Ogom.
The Head of the Assessment Team at KTRH, Shem Onserio highlighted the requirements for the assessment including a national identity card (ID) and birth certificate for minors who should be accompanied by the next of kin.
Onserio also urged the PWDs to turn up in large numbers for the exercise, adding that it is key for the planning of government programmes for PWDs.
By Mercy Osongo
