UDPK Report On PWDs Participation In The 2022 Election
Despite the significant number of Persons With Disabilities in Kenya, research suggests that they continue to experience systemic exclusion from mainstream governance and developmental processes.
This has been revealed in a report Audit of the August 9 2022 General Election released by United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) on Tuesday.
According to the report, the voting environment and the entire electoral process which included political parties primaries were not disability-friendly hence hindering Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) from actively taking part in the 2022 August General elections.
This is contrary to what Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commissioner (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati had promised persons with disabilities.
During an engagement with PWDs before the 2022 August election, the commission assured them of an inclusive election which included registering as voters; voting by secret ballot, and being elected to public or political party office.
However, the report indicates that the commission did prioritize PWDs' in the entire electoral process i.e. most polling stations were inaccessible especially those with unfinished buildings with rough and incomplete surfaces.
The report states that most polling stations were on ground floors, their entrances had steps and high slabs and were accessed through walkways and pathways with obstacles that impeded easy access for persons with mobility and visual disabilities.
In the news reports by The Star, a Disability Inclusion Coordination Committee (DICC) undertook a voter observation exercise in 16 polling centers in Nairobi, 16 polling centers in Kiambu, and four polling centers in Machakos.
“The toilets in most schools acting as polling centers had narrow entrances with steps, and had no handrails,” the report says.
“Voters with disabilities who were conveyed to vote in vehicles found it difficult to get priority or indeed any parking at all, and had to walk or wheel long distances to their polling stations."
Regarding the setup and lighting of the polling stations, the report says lighting was low which made it difficult for persons with specific disabilities to read and interpret ballot papers which at the same time had text in small print.
The report further points out that the printed voter lists on noticeboards in all polling centers also had small print, making it difficult for persons with visual disabilities to decipher them.
Similarly, most polling stations did not have Sign Language interpreters.
“The layout of voting booths was not configured to suit voters who needed to sit as they marked their ballots,” it says.
“The secrecy of the ballot was compromised where party agents crowded around PWDs using assisted voting.”
Observers from ELOG found that 18.4 percent of polling stations were located on inaccessible upper floors of buildings.
Findings from this study conclude that the inclusion of PWDs in the electoral process in Kenya remains inadequate and presents a big gap with respect to the civil and political rights of PWDs as entrenched in the Kenyan laws especially the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
The report recommends that voting material such as ballots and signage should have distinct colors and large font, while IEBC should use universally designed booths to ensure they are accessible to persons with different disabilities.
This, the report recommends, should include the Commission working closely and consulting with disability stakeholders on specifications for such booths.
Participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in political and public life is significant in a country, it is a human right as well that promotes socially inclusive development
