People Living With Disability (PLWD) in Migori County have cited inadequate entrepreneur training and lack of business funding as the greatest impediment towards their economic empowerment.
Leaders representing various PLWD groups in Migori County emphasised that there was need for National and County Governments to draw a clear road map on how the PLWD can be empowered through business training, boosting their business initiatives.
Speaking in Isebania, Kuria West, the PLWD also asked that their members be taken through relevant educational programs to enhance their literacy levels.
The leaders said that most of them had little or no information on how seek financial help from existing funding government and non-governmental institutions to implement their business ideas.
Newton Nkonya representing United Disabled People of Kenya (UPDK) advocated for the training of PLWD on how to access government tenders and initiate sustainable business ideas.
Nkonya proposed that businesses owned by PLWD should be given a hundred percent tax holiday by the County Government of Migori.
He said this was the only way to boost their morale towards their financial freedom.
His sentiments were echoed by Shila Adoyo representing PLWD from Suna West Sub-County who lamented that women living with disability in Migori County had been reduced to beggars as they were accorded little attention.
Adoyo said their push to get funding or tenders from government bodies had been frustrated by a perceived notion that their proposals had been poorly written.
She added that their forms were often thrown out because member groups had little or no education.
David Omuga from Uriri Sub-County reiterated that training of PLWD on how to apply government tenders and sustain business ventures was the only way of changing the lives of PLWDs in the county.
He decried that there was no clearly documented framework on how they who are weak, poor and neglected could be assisted and lead decent lives.
Agness Bange, Gender and Equality Officer representing the Migori County Government however said that since the inception of County Government in 2013, various initiatives had been discussed on how to improve the lives of the PLWD.
Bange revealed that County Policy on PLWD was awaiting approval by the County Assembly of Migori which she expressed confidence that would solve most challenges faced by disable persons in the county.
But according to UPDK representative Nkonya, PLWD are not aware that such policy had reached the county assembly for approval.
He was worried that there was no public participation done while formulating the policy document.
He said unpopular policies affecting PLWD could be adopted, but proposed that they be informed of the content of the policy before approval.
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