BY TONY WAFULA
Persons with Disability will be prioritised in the recruitment and hiring of people for overseas jobs, Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has said.
Speaking in Bungoma during the International Day for Persons with Disability on Tuesday, Mutua said the government is still enrolling jobless youths for international jobs.
Mutua said the international job recruitment and interviews are ongoing countrywide, rallying PWDs to try their luck in different capacities.
“The government has a plan for you PWDs. Don’t feel left out for this programme because soon, we will be in Bungoma for the same exercise and I encourage all with skills to present yourself for these vacancies,” Mutua said.
He added that the PWDs who will secure jobs will have their immigrant visas processed free of charge.
“Indeed, disability is not inability. During the countrywide international job recruitment drives, I have seen persons with disabilities on wheelchairs struggle to grab opportunities and that is the spirit most of you need to develop,” Mutua said.
SUFFERING NURSES IN SAUDI
The government initiative to export labour abroad is already facing headwinds, after nurses sent to Saudi Arabia recently decried exploitation.
Through screenshots shared by CNN correspondent Larry Madowo, the nurses complain of being short-changed in terms of the promised labour standards and the realities they facein the Gulf country.
They say the are facing severe exploitation, likening their labour environment to modern slavery.
For instance, they have complained of demanding work schedules that eliminate previously provided rest days, coupled with persistent claims of racial discrimination, with a decision to rescind scheduled days off.
“Please be informed that, following a meeting held on 27 November, it has been decided that all employees will no longer have scheduled days off. Kindly ensure this information is disseminated and that the new directive is complied with,” reads part of a notice to employees, as shared by Madowo.
Diaspora Affairs PS Roseline Njogu has said the ministry is yet to receive formal distress reports from the affected nurses and those affected to file official complaints through the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh or the State Department for Diaspora Affairs.
The Kenyan Ministry of Labour previously announced 2,500 available healthcare positions in Saudi Arabia, with recruitment spearheaded by Fast Reliable Enterprises and Nasmama Services Limited.
Mutua, however, dismissed claims by a section of President William Ruto’s critics that the government is sending out many Kenyans to go and work outside the country.
“Nobody is forcing people to go out for work. If you aren’t willing, please allow those who want to work go. They will come back when the country’s economy is stable,” Mutua said.
He also asked those who own storey buildings, hospitals, schools, government offices and other institutions to consider persons with disability.
“We have given those who didn’t consider PWDs while constructing their structures up to June 2025. They should have put pathways and lifts for PWDs,” he said, noting that the ministry’s officers will be moving around to check if the owners have complied.
INCLUSIVITY OF PWDs
On Social Health Authority registration, Mutua urged PWDs to register so that they can access free government’s medical care.
Mike Maliba, a PWD, accused the government for neglecting their welfare, saying that the government should give them top priority when it comes to SHA registration.
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka echoed CS Mutua’s sentiments, saying that in the county, all PWDs will undergo free medical care in public hospitals.
Lusaka affirmed that the disability and mainstreaming policy is ready and he will sign it next week.
“In this county, we are working to ensure that PWDs are catered for and that is why next week, I will sign the disability and mainstreaming policy that the MCAs have been working on,” he said.
The policy will help in giving guidance on how to deal with persons with disability.
The governor commended the Walkabout Foundation, which has partnered with the county government to distribute wheelchairs to PWDs in Bungoma.
“In 2023 November, we partnered with the Walkabout Foundation and distributed 100 wheelchairs. This year in March, we gave out 120 and today after this event, I’m going to hand over 100 wheelchairs,” he said, adding that they target to distribute 980 wheelchairs because that is the total number of PWDs who need them in Bungoma.
“My CEC for Finance in Bungoma is a PWD therefore I’m working closely with them,” he said.
Prof. Julia Ojiambo, a Trustee of the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya (NFDK) Board said they have given both assistive devices and working equipment to 12 PWDs drawn from Bungoma South subcounty as part of our empowerment exercise to persons with disabilities.
“From tomorrow, we shall have a similar exercise in Cheptais, Kimilili, Bungoma North and Bumula subcounties. All the devices and equipment to be presented in the Sub-counties mentioned are valued at Sh2.3 million,” Ojiambo said.
She called upon stakeholders to adhere to this year’s IDPWD theme to amplify the leadership of persons with disabilities and create a world where all individuals have an equal opportunity to contribute to a sustainable and inclusive future.
NFDK is mandated to enhance the social and economic empowerment of PWDs in Kenya through support to individuals with assistive devices and tools of trade to enable increased self-reliance and promote inclusive education in institutions for learners with disabilities.
Through its Advocacy and Collaborations Programme, NFDK has partnered with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to realize the International Day for Persons with Disabilities which was held at Bungoma Airstrip.
