The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has assured Persons with Disabilities of its commitment in ensuring their inclusivity in electoral process.
According to the commission, they have 1.7 million PWDs registered voters expected to turn out on the 9th of August.
Speaking during a conference convened by National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) in Nairobi, Patrick Onyango famously known as “paddy” a managing partner at the consult and works technical committee at caucus on disability rights and advocacy, lauded the Commission’s deliberate effort to engage and partner with the PWDs in the electoral process.
Mr. Onyango revealed that the commission has elaborate strategies that seeks to employ multiple approaches to ensure their participation in the election is achieved.
Some of the strategies include use of assistive technology for the persons with disabilities during the election such as the assitALL app for the deaf, booths for the physically challenged, producing voter information in braille and looking forward to make all polling stations with PWDs easily accessible.
Further, the commission with effort is carrying out voter civic education on disability etiquette during the August election.
He added that apart from there disabilities, Checklists will be provided in all polling stations for their identification.
Paddy in his last remarks called upon the commission and all stakeholders to ensure a peaceful election noting that as much as Persons with Disabilities being like any other citizens, their experience of a post-election violence is different and more painful compared to the abled.