International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Crystal Asige calls for dignity
By Joel Masibo, December 3, 2025Nominated Senator Crystal Asige has called for dignity in Kenya as the world marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Taking to X on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, the legislator noted that Kenya could be better if there were inclusivity, involving Persons With Disabilities.
”As we mark this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I’m reminded that a better Kenya is an inclusive Kenya: one where persons with disabilities experience dignity every day, not just in policy,” she said.
Amplifying the voice
Speaking separately on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Asige said that shifting mindsets is the first step to true inclusion. She gave her remarks through an engagement with the media sector on the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2025, where the forum explored how stories, representation, and accessibility can reshape Kenya’s narrative around disability.
The engagement also looked at different ways in which accessible platforms can give every Kenyan with a disability the visibility and dignity they deserve and the role of the media in amplifying the spirit and letter of this law.
The Persons with Disabilities Act, 2025, is a landmark Kenyan law that replaces the 2003 Act to strengthen disability rights by enforcing inclusion, accessibility, and anti-discrimination measures across education, employment, and public life.
Key provisions include a mandatory 5 per cent representation for people with disabilities in public service, a restructured National Council for Persons with Disabilities, and stricter penalties for violations. The Act emphasises a rights-based approach, aligning with Kenya’s constitution and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Stigma and discrimination
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be observed under the theme Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress. Across the WHO African region, more than 188 million people live with some form of disability. Communicable and noncommunicable diseases, malnutrition, injuries and the consequences of conflict all contribute to disability.
Ironically, those with disabilities remain among the most marginalised in society, often facing stigma and persistent barriers to health services, education, transport and employment.