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Sunday 29 March 2015

Assembly rejects motion to aid physically challenged

Trans Nzoia assembly members differed on the motion that was tabled by Waitaluk MCA Simon Makhanu that aimed at assisting persons with disability in the county who are unemployed and poor to overcome the challenges they go through getting monthly allowances.
The motion that was requesting the county government through culture gender, sports and tourism to come up with policies that will allow persons with disabilities was opposed by majority of the county assembly members. Kiminini MCA David Kisaka said it will be difficult for the county government to budget for all disability persons in the county with monthly allowance saying the motion can only work on those with needy cases and not everybody.
Nominated MCA Evelyn Nelima said already some disabled groups were empowered saying the monthly allowance will not work. Nabiswa MCA Joel Milimo asked the motion mover to do amendment on the motion saying the county government is not ready to enter into programmes that it will not sustain to the end. Kaplamai MCA Sam Mutuli supported the motion by quoting article 154 of the constitutions that identifies persons with disabilities who should be treated like any other person. Mutuli said any disabled person in the county should be taken care of by getting monthly allowance as the motion stated for them also to feel they belong to the community. He was supported by Sikhendu MCA Andrew Kutitila who said the county government of Trans Nzoia should budget for disabled persons allowance and implement as they voted for them and it will not be good to forget them.
Kutitila said disabled persons like those who are blind and those who do not have both legs or hand and they are not capable to move for themselves they need a person who guide them and they are being paid which is difficult for a disable person to raise the money to his or her aid. Nominated MCA  who represents persons with disability in the county Laban Wanyonyi who seconded the motion mover said albino persons use expensive skin oil and there was need for members to pass the motion for this people to benefit from monthly allowance but nominated MCA Dorcas Sikwoo opposed strongly the motion saying if the motion pass it will encourage other disabled persons to flow in Trans Nzoia in  order to benefit from the monthly allowance and it will be a hard task to the county government of Trans Nzoia. Sikwoo said instead of monthly allowance they should be thought and empower them on how to depend on themselves by taking them to technical institutes to acquire different skills for those who are capable and pay for them school fees for those who are in secondary schools or colleges so that they can compete with other people in getting job. “Mr speaker it’s not good to give fish to your neighbour every day you’ll not be helping that person but it will be very good if you teach and empower that person on how to fish so that the person can depend on himself,’’ she said.
Ford Kenya nominated MCA Margaret Sabina said there was no way the house could pass the motion because the house had no exact figure of the disabled persons in the county. She said the motion had not specified which groups of physically challenged person will be entitled to receive the monthly allowance in what she termed as some are disabled but are capable to work and some are disabled adding the motion had no criteria that will be applied if passed and even the allowance has not been specified. Sinyereri MCA Victor Osiago made the house to laugh as he said if the motion is introduced in the county it will make people from Mt Elgon who were chopped of their noses, mouth and ears by Sabaot Lands Defence Forces some years ago to flow in the county challenging members not to pass the motion.
“Thank you members for debating my motion, Mr Speaker Sir, I’m surprised to see that majority of members of this honourable house have no human heart of Mercy to disabled persons who voted for them,’’ said Simon Makhanu the motion mover.
Speaker David Sifuna directed the house to vote where majority opposed the motion that intended to boost the life of disabled people due what they said the county government will not be in a position to pay allowance to all disable persons in the county whom they don’t have their figure.

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