Meru County To Collaborate With Stakeholders To Ensure PWDs Are Included In Development Activities
Meru County Governor Kawira Mwangaza has expressed commitment to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that People with Disabilities (PWDs) are recognized and involved in development activities in the region.
Speaking during the Meru PWDs Sports Day celebrations at Kinoru Stadium, Governor Mwangaza said that this will ensure that the differently abled people contribute to the economic development of the county as well as empower them to gain economic independence.
She said that the main objectives of the event were to promote inclusion and participation, innovation for disability-inclusive development, create awareness, reduce stigma and discrimination, as well as nurture talents and abilities among the PWDs in the county.
Governor Mwangaza said that her government has allocated Sh10 million in the last financial year to support PWDs, with Sh5 million going towards seed capital for a PWD Sacco and the other Sh5 million going towards procuring assistive devices.
She said that her government will continue to support PWDs throughout the financial year and beyond to ensure that they are at par with others regarding development.
Governor Mwangaza also announced that her government will soon allocate a piece of land to the PWDs where they can build various facilities, including offices, exceptional sporting grounds, and other commercial structures that will generate income for them.
She urged all the differently abled people in the county to come out and register in order to tap credit from the government and other organizations for business.
Governor Mwangaza said that it is important to note that Meru has the highest number of persons with disabilities in Kenya, with a total of 48,815 according to the statistics derived from the last national census conducted in 2019. However, to date, only 12,000 people are registered.
She appealed to all the PWDs to come out and register to enable them to benefit from the resources allocated to them. She also appealed for support from stakeholders in creating awareness and education on PWDs.
Some of the assistive devices that were issued during the day included wheelchairs, walker frames with wheels, crutches, Tripod walking sticks, pediatric walkers, walker frames without wheels, and white canes.
The event was attended by a number of stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Protection, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, and the Meru County Assembly.
The stakeholders pledged their support to the county government in its efforts to ensure that PWDs are included in development activities in the region.
Source:KNA
Tags: Pwds Meru County Kawira Mwangaza
