- Joseph Kimutai Bii says the assistive device has significantly improved his mobility and daily life.
- He voluntarily retired in 2025 after developing weakness in his left hand and leg following surgery.
- Teacher unions and the Daniel Mutai Foundation are pushing for sustained support for teachers living with disabilities.
Joseph Kimutai Bii, a teacher from Bomet, was among hundreds of teachers who attended an inclusion event at Bomet Green Stadium, where 163 teachers living with disabilities received assistive devices.
Bii, who previously served as deputy principal at Koiwa Central Secondary School, developed weakness in his left hand and leg after undergoing surgery on his head at AGC Tenwek Hospital.
The condition affected his mobility and eventually prompted him to voluntarily retire in 2025, three years before his expected retirement in 2028.
Bii said his life has improved significantly after the Daniel Mutai Foundation assisted him with a wheelchair.
“I have improved. The wheelchair has really assisted me,” Bii 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.
Mutai said some teachers were living with conditions that could be corrected or better managed if they received appropriate support.
He noted that teachers with disabilities were often neglected and called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to provide assistive devices and create a conducive working environment for them.
During the inclusion event, teachers received wheelchairs, crutches and devices to assist those with hearing and visual impairments.
Mutai urged TSC and the government to consider flexible working arrangements for teachers whose conditions make it difficult to work for the full day, saying they should not necessarily be required to remain at work until 5pm.
He also called on partners and well-wishers to support teachers with disabilities by providing the required assistive devices.
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.
Sanguya said KUPPET would work to ensure teachers with disabilities receive the support they need to perform their duties effectively.
KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu said the union would partner with the Daniel Mutai Foundation to make the inclusion event an annual initiative.
Oyuu said KNUT would also seek sponsors and other partners to expand support for teachers living with disabilities.
READ ALSO: KUPPET official urges TSC to introduce flexible working hours for teachers 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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