BY Benson Kelio and Caroline Cherono
Persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Baringo County last week were up in arms over some stringent measures that are locking them in the ongoing registration of the Inua Jamii Programme.
Led by Edwin Kandie, the Baringo Central Sub County PWDs leader lamented that the requirement for one to have a severe disability for them to qualify for the cash transfer will lock the majority of them out of the exercise.
Kandie was speaking to Journalists at Kaptimbor Chief’s office grounds on Friday during the launching of the County registration exercise targeting new members, presided over by County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa.
He said that PWDs are undergoing a lot of challenges and hence should be supported without only considering those with severe cases.
“We have so many PWDs who want to join the program but have been locked out of the exercise due to the requirement that they need to have severe disabilities,” he said.
The representative added that the 597 slots allocated to the county are fewer considering the fact that some locations and sub-locations might register one beneficiary depending on distribution.
He appealed to President William Ruto to chip in and consider their plea in order for all of them to access cash transfer funds without limitations.
Kandie’s sentiments were shared by Richard Cherutich, a member of PWDs Paralympics who said that regulations are unfair to them since they discriminate against those people battling various impairments that have rendered them helpless in society.
He said that all PWDs need to benefit from such programs because they were meant to benefit them since they don’t have any other alternative means to boost their livelihoods.
Elijah Barbet, who is Baringo North Sub County PWD Chairperson said that persons with disabilities have undergone a rigorous medical examination and are known in the society hence they ought to be included in the exercise without any restrictions.
He lamented that their tribulations have extended to employment and tendering processes where cartels have taken over their rightful share making life seem unbearable to them.
Barbet called on all stakeholders to develop a plan where some of the policies and programs that are geared towards supporting them are implemented later.
The County Commissioner said this year they are targeting to register 4, 354 people, which includes orphans and vulnerable children as well as PWDs in the program which also includes enlisting older persons above 70 years.
Kutwa who was accompanied by Collins Kogei, Baringo Central children’s officer lauded the high turnout, which he attributed to prompt payments of beneficiaries which has motivated many to register.
The county commissioner said they will scale down the registration exercise up to the grassroots by going house to house in order to reach out to more beneficiaries.
Kogei in his remarks said his department has encountered numerous challenges during the listing and registration of new applicants, including lack of Identity cards, birth certificates, and inaccurate data, which automatically disqualify them from the process.
The children’s officer at the same time noted that many of the deserving beneficiaries in the region apart from lacking information are living in inaccessible areas, whereby it is hard for them to even make it to the nearby registration centers.