The religious organisations have a duty to assist the government in identifying and assisting Persons Living With Disabilities in Kenyan villages.
Speaking at University of East Africa Baraton, Regional Seventh Day Adventist Church President Eliaza Kogei said the church which has links in villages and homes can easily identify PLWD and design assistive methods together with the government relevant agencies.
Kogei made the remarks during the distribution of 140 wheel chairs to PLWD across Nandi County courtesy of USA based Chair The Love Organisation, UEAB and Nandi County Government.
“The church has a responsibility to reach out to PLWD especially those with mobility challenges and see how they can be assisted,” Kogei said.
He thanked the US based Chair The Love Organisation for giving Nandi County 140 wheelchairs which will assist PLWD in Nandi and parts of Uasin Gishu counties.
Kogei appreciated UEAB and the Nandi County Government for ensuring the donated wheelchairs reach out to the right people.
“Through church local leadership we were able to reach out to a good number of PLWD you see here today. We were able to identify PLWD within our communities from Mosop, Chesumei, Aldai, Tinderet,Nandi Hills and Emgwen so that they can be assisted,” he said.
Vice Chancellor UEAB Professor Jackson Msafiri said the university wrote a proposal to Chair The Love Organisation few years ago and they have been donating free wheelchairs every year.
He said 140 wheelchairs cost the organisation Sh 7.2 million to Mombasa port where the university spent shs 0.6 million to transport them to Baraton.
Augie Byllot Chair The Love Organisation official, appealed to well-wishers across the country to assist them to reach close to 1.5 million wheelchairs needed in the country.
On her part, Scholastica Tuwei Nandi County Government Chief Executive Committee Member in charge of Culture, Gender and Social Welfare revealed that there is a budget for assistive technology for PLWD.
She said her department is carrying out data for all PLWD across the county so that it forms the basis of decision making at the time of budgeting or distribution of assistive devices.
“We are working closely with partners for instance UEAB and Hope Mobility Kenya to ensure all categories of PLWD are assisted,” Tuwei emphasised.
David Shitimu, a beneficiary with mobility challenges thanked the charitable organisation for making his movement a reality after ten years of trouble.
However, he challenged the National Council for Persons Living with Disability where he is a member to ensure the assistive devices applied to reach on time to assist many Kenyans living with disability.
By Geoffrey Satia
