County on spot for ignoring those with disabilities

What you need to know:

  • In a workforce of 1,573, only 15 people are disabled. But again out of the 15, 14 were inherited by the County Government from the national government and the defunct local authorities, through devolved functions.
  • County Assembly Chairman of Public Service Committee Mr Mwangi Kagwe termed it a contravention of the Constitution and the Persons Living with Disabilities Act 2003.
  • The Public Service Committee Chairman said the only employee hired by the County Public Service Board since inception of the County government works in the Enforcement Department.

The County Government of Nyandarua has been accused of giving a raw deal to people living with disabilities.

In the past three years, the county administration has employed only one person, putting it on the spot.

In a workforce of 1,573, only 15 people are disabled. But again out of the 15, 14 were inherited by the County Government from the national government and the defunct local authorities, through devolved functions.

The matter came up in the County Assembly where members said the County has fallen far below the constitutional requirement of five percent.

County Assembly Chairman of Public Service Committee Mr Mwangi Kagwe termed it a contravention of the Constitution and the Persons Living with Disabilities Act 2003.

The Act provides that at least five per cent of government jobs should go to persons living with disabilities.

He told the Assembly the County employment figures represent only 0.89 per cent, arguing that the County government would be required to recruit at least 68 more employees to meet the constitutional threshold.

Mr Kagwe was responding to a statement sought by nominated MCA, Ms Joyce Ng’ang’a.

She wanted to know the number of people living with disabilities employed by the County Public Service Board since 2013.

The Public Service Committee Chairman said the only employee hired by the County Public Service Board since inception of the County government works in the Enforcement Department.

He said the County Public Service Board claimed that it had employed four people in the past three years but it could not substantiate as it could not provide names of the employees.

Mr Kagwe said the County has no policy frame work for persons living with disabilities.

The County population of people living with disabilities stands at 1,347.