Last year, we partnered with the Walk About Foundation (WAF) and provided over 200 wheelchairs, valued at millions of shillings, to disabled persons in Kitui County, the County Culture, Gender, Youth, ICT, Sports and Social Services Minister Phoebe Ndunyu Mutemi has said.
“We, as a county ministry, are partnering with the Walk About Foundation for the good of our people. So I want to thank that organisation a lot,” she added.
The Kitui County government has made a dramatic difference for disabled people in the county. We serve them in many ways, including conducting medical assessments for those who require assistive devices, the minister added.
Mutemi was speaking to hundreds of people who attended this year’s (44th) International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) celebrations held at the Sombe Sports Academy in the Sombe District, Kitui County, on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
She was representing Governor Dr Julius Makau Malombe as the chief guest at the function, which was attended by hundreds of people.
The event had been organized by the Kenya’s government, Anglican Development Services Eastern (ADSE), National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Kitui County government, Kitui Teachers Training College, Walk About Foundation, National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), Univision DT Savings and Credit Cooperative Society Limited, Universal Traders Savings and Credit Cooperative Society Limited, Suluhu DT Savings and Credit Cooperative Society Limited, National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), Cheshire Disability Services Kenya and Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) among others. Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress was the theme of this year.
In Kenya, the event was hosted by the Moi Garden Stadium in the Lodwar District within Turkana County. And globally, the United Nations headquarters in New York, United States of America, hosted the event.
The International Day for Persons with Disabilities promotes the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities and raises awareness of their situation.
“Let me say this day is good. We are remembering the persons with disabilities,” Minister Phoebe Ndunyu Mutemi said.
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The budget for supporting persons with disabilities in Kitui County is significantly increasing under the Governor Julius Makau Malombe’s administration, she said.
“We have to do the necessary for the disabled people. There are some assistive devices on the way to help our people in our county. We, the county ministry, provide the assistive devices to our people in large numbers,” the minister also said.
“We have said that in helping you, there is no please. It is your right to be served. We are serving you, and we will continue serving you effectively and efficiently,” Mutemi said as she assured the disabled persons within the Kitui County of the continued support from the county government.
The minister said, “We provide the assistive devices for our people across the whole county. And we do that as per the assistive devices’ needs.”
For his part, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) Kitui County Coordinator, Richard Ndambuki, said: “This day is to sensitise the people that the disabled people should not be left behind. We are here to say that disabled people should not be forgotten. The disabled people should not be neglected.”
Kenya’s county governments must serve the disabled people as per the Kenyan constitution, the NCPD official said.
Ndambuki highly appreciated the Caritas Kitui for the support that it gives them (the disabled) in the county. “I highly appreciate the Caritas Kitui for the support that they give us. Caritas Kitui is the only one that has supported us greatly. The diocese helps us a lot,” the official said. The Caritas Kitui is the Kitui Catholic Diocese’s development arm.
And addressing the occasion, the Universal Traders Savings and Credit Cooperative Society Limited Kitui Branch Manager, Josephat Mwalimu, said that the sacco supports the community through their (the organisation’s) corporate social responsibility (CSR) scheme. And he told the disabled persons in Kitui County that they are prepared to support them.
The Sombe District Commissioner, Emmanuel Ngala Mwachiro; the Kitui County Disability Network (KCDN) Chairman, John Kilonzo; and Caritas Kitui official, Juliana Mwania, also addressed the function, among others.
Juliana Mwania was representing the Caritas Kitui Director, Florence Ndeti, at the function. John Kilonzo said the Kitui County Disability Network is the umbrella organisation for all disabled persons’ organisations in Kitui County.
By Boniface Mulu
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