- 163 teachers living with disabilities in Bomet County have received assistive devices during an inclusion event at Bomet Green Stadium.
- The Daniel Mutai Foundation has supported teachers such as Joseph Kimutai Bii with wheelchairs, while calling on the TSC to provide more assistive devices.
- KUPPET and KNUT have pledged continued support for teachers with disabilities, with KNUT committing to make the inclusion event an annual initiative.
Teachers living with disabilities in Bomet County have received assistive devices in a move to promote inclusiveness within the teaching profession, with 163 beneficiaries drawn from across the county’s schools during an inclusion event held at Bomet Green Stadium.
Joseph Kimutai Bii, a teacher from Bomet who previously served as deputy principal at Koiwa Central Secondary School, was among hundreds of teachers who attended the event.
Bii developed weakness in his left hand and leg following surgery on his head at AGC Tenwek Hospital, a condition that affected his mobility and prompted him to voluntarily retire in 2025, three years ahead of his expected retirement in 2028.
Bii said his life has improved significantly since the Daniel Mutai Foundation supported him with a wheelchair. “I have improved. The wheelchair has really assisted me,” he said.
Daniel Mutai, Chief Executive Officer of the Daniel Mutai Foundation and a teacher at Chebanyiny Comprehensive School, said about 200 teachers in Bomet require support with assistive devices. He said some teachers were living with conditions that could be corrected or better managed if given appropriate support, adding that teachers with disabilities are often neglected. He called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to provide assistive devices and create a more conducive working environment for them.
During the inclusion day, teachers received wheelchairs, crutches and devices to assist those with hearing and visual impairments. Mutai further urged the TSC and the government to consider flexible working arrangements for teachers whose conditions make it difficult to work a full day, saying they should not necessarily be required to remain at work until 5 pm. He also appealed to partners and well-wishers to support teachers with disabilities by providing the assistive devices they need.
Unions Pledge Continued Support
Bomet KUPPET Gender Secretary Evalyne Chepkirui Sanguya said the union was committed to supporting teachers living with disabilities and would continue seeking sponsors and partners to assist them, adding that KUPPET would work to ensure such teachers receive the support they need to perform their duties effectively.
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KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu said the union would partner with the Daniel Mutai Foundation to make the inclusion event an annual initiative, and that KNUT would also seek sponsors and other partners to expand support for teachers living with disabilities.
The leaders said the initiative should be sustained to promote inclusion, dignity and equal opportunities for teachers with disabilities.
By Jeff Kirui
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