West Pokot County First Lady Dr. Mary Lonyangapuo has raised concern over the rising cases of residents in the County who are keeping people living with disabilities away from the public. It has been established that many disabled people in the County are not allowed to be seen in the public because of cultural traditions and beliefs and many are taken as a bad omen in the society while others are being ignored.
Speaking at St. Francis School for the visually impaired in Kapenguria where she availed three acres of land, a Kshs 1 million cheque to buy an embosser, a resident nurse to treat learners and a Kshs 200,000 cheque for constructing pavements courtesy of the West Pokot County government, Dr. Lonyangapuo expressed concern that many people who are abled differently in the County haven’t been exposed. “Everyone is entitled to life and integration in society and we shall help empower such children because you don’t know what they can do for the society tomorrow,” she said.
She said people who are abled differently have rights just like everyone else in the society and have equal opportunities as enshrined in the law and international conventions, “We should all take responsibility and respect the rights of the disabled as stipulated in the constitution,” she said.