Disability
Homa Bay County Woman Representative Joyce Bensouda Osogo has launched a registration programme for all the people living with disabilities (PWDs) in the county.
Osogo said there was need for the government to employ an accurate modern scientific system of identifying and registering PWDs. She expressed concern that a high number of people with disabilities have not been registered because of the systemic challenges in capturing their data.
‘I am questioning the system that researchers use to get the data of PWDs,’ Dr Osogo said. The Woman Rep in collaboration with County Disability Services Director John Nyangon launched the initiative dubbed PWDs support programme to enable people with different forms of disability to get the necessary support.
The exercise which was launched at Kabude Social Hall on Tuesday is expected to cover the entire county.
‘Next we will move to Kosele and Sindo where people with disability will get the opportunity to be registered as members of National Council for Persons with Disability,’ Ms. Osogo said, pointing out that having the correct number of PWDs will help the government in planning.
According to the 2019 census the county has 24,900 PWDs. Mr Nyangon however said that the census clerks simply enquired if there was anyone in the family with any form of disability which he noted was not sufficient.
“Just questioning one if they have any form of disability is not the best method of identifying the group, besides, children below five years old were not captured,’ Mr Nyangon said. He said the National Council for PWDs now plans to partner with Kenya National Bureau of Statistics during the next census to come up with a better system of enumeration.
“We will also involve the Ministry of Health to help in identifying the kind of disability that someone has.’ He said. HomaBay County Disability Forum Coordinator David Ocholla echoed Dr Osogo’s sentiments that having the correct data of the PWDs will help the government in planning.