The Council participated in the Induction for the Senate Committees of the 13th Parliament, particularly to the committees on Labour and Social Welfare, and National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional integration.
With several financing and legislative gaps hindering full realization of disability inclusion since the enactment of the first disability law in 2003, the Council has taken deliberate steps to bolster relations with Parliament and lobby for disability-inclusive laws in its roles of legislation, representation and oversight.
Within its mandate of reviewing bills concerning county governments, Executive Director Harun Hassan urged the senators to debunk the existing misconception that disability is a “national” function and not a county one – which has posed a challenge in mainstreaming disability at the counties. Other potential areas of collaboration included:
- Working with Kenya Disability Parliamentary Association members to push for the drafted County Governments (Amendment) Bill 2021, which would ensure that counties only qualify as fully constituted if they have nominated MCAs representing persons with disabilities
- Provide oversight and ensure policies are established to attain provision of employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in both national and county governments as per the five percent constitutional threshold.
- Provide representation for persons with disabilities through ensuring that legislations do not discriminate or leave out the needs of persons with disabilities. This also includes advocating for counties to provide financing for the recently decentralised disability medical assessment exercise.
- Offer support to pass the Persons with Disabilities Bill 2021 – which seeks to align the current Act with Article 54 of the Constitution on the rights of persons with disabilities and establish a relation between the national government and counties on matters disability.
