Disabled cry foul over count targeting them

Disabled people have criticised the Uasin Gishu County government for failing to give them jobs in a Sh20 million census targeting them.

Members of the Uasin Gishu Disability Forum on Monday moved to court to block the drive.

Finance and Planning Executive Shadrack Sambai said the programme will take place in three weeks and is aimed at informing the county government on a policy framework for the disabled and how to help them.

“The county government has already set aside a budget of Sh20 million for the programme to determine the number of people living with disabilities we have in the entire county,” said Mr Samabai.

However, the forum cried foul, saying its members were being sidelined.

Led by Chairperson Regina Chumba and Secretary Simon Mwangi, the members argued that it was wrong for the county government to hire sub-county and ward administrators to undertake the work and leave them out.

DISCRIMINATION

“No person living with disability has been hired for the work and we feel discriminated against. We have such a situation yet we are the people the mapping is targeting,” said Mrs Chumba.

The sub-county administrators are to be paid Sh60,000 each, while ward administrators will pocket Sh30,000 each after the work.

Mrs Chumba asked the county government to put the census on hold until they resolve the issues at the centre of controversy.

She said their views on the matter had not been sought.

“It’s not fair for the county to embark on the drive to collect information on people living with disability across the county without involving their leaders,” she added.