Protect political rights of people with disabilities

Moses Kilonzo

The United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy was launched by the Secretary General in June 2019 to foster “sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations.” 

This strategy obliges all UN affiliates to see to it that disability inclusion is consistently and systematically fitted into all work aspects.

Previously, a legislation had been passed by the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) which gave Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) the protection to enjoy their rights like their able counterparts in the region.

The East African Community Persons with Disability Bill 2015 objective was to establish a comprehensive legal skeleton that would shelter the civil liberties of PWDs in East Africa. 

The principles in the UN’s Charter value the integral dignity and worth and the homogeneous and incontrovertible rights of each single member of the human race as the pivot of freedom, justice and peace on earth.

Furthermore, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenants of Human Rights, the United Nations notes that everyone is eligible to all the civil rights and freedoms spelled out therein.

In Kenya many PWDs face the social exclusion and marginalisation. 

Persons with disabilities are often seen by society and the government as needy rather than worthy members of society. 

They are never considered a force to reckon with; consequently, while their votes are sought during elections, their contribution to policies and laws are scarcely solicited post-election. 

The link between the vote, citizenship and dignity has always been crucial. The right to vote is equal to the right to earn as elements of one’s social standing. 

Of all the civic activities assigned to citizens, the right to vote is the only right that can be expressed by all citizens, as it is pegged to interests protection. 

Since every citizen has a wish list of interests to be protected, there could never exist any apparent reason for barring anyone from citizenship.

Therefore, where each single citizen has their own rights to protect and interests to promote, any attempt to exclude them from public life negates their civic rights and their social dignity.

Efforts to combat modern marginalisation have proved futile. 

Despite our Constitution being explicit on their inclusion, persons with disabilities are often excluded from party primaries lists during elections. 

People living with mental and intellectual disabilities particularly face obstructive attitudes about their voting capacity from their guardians and from electoral officials.  

Some persons with intellectual disabilities stigma manifest in violence and some have reportedly been shoved out of voting queues in previous elections.  

Their quest for leadership is often belittled, and some whose ambitions pushed them to compete fairly for any public office have had to quit not by choice but due to a mudslinging by fellow candidates. 

Furthermore, the guardians and the public often have an erroneous perception that all persons with disabilities needs and interests are taken care of by their caregivers, including the fundamental right to political participation and leadership decisions, killing the necessity of encouraging them to exercise their political rights.  

The daily challenges encountered by persons with disabilities in meeting their socio-economic needs, coupled with these bigoted attitudes, result to many not prioritising the realisation of their political rights.

Let it be known that opportunity endows a forelock only to those who take it but it must exist in the first place. 

It is, therefore, incumbent for the government to show goodwill by taking advantage of its powers to fight this marginalisation and level the ground of equity to all citizens. — The writer is the chairman for Persons Living with Disabilities,  Lower Eastern