• The group warned some individuals are exploiting the disabled by lining them up in towns to beg for money.
• She called upon the authorities to crack the whip and dismantle the syndicate.
A lobby has raised concerns over the increasing numbers of disabled beggars in towns within Kiambu County.
Rio Club, formed through the partnership of Zetech University, and Partners for Care and Lions Club (Ruiru Charter), said the numbers are as a result of some unscrupulous individuals using the disabled, especially kids, to beg on the streets for their own selfish gains.
Dr Alice Njuguna, Zetech’s Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics and Students Affairs, who’s a member of the club, said it has become disheartening to find very young and disabled kids placed along corridors in the towns as early as 5.30am.
“The disabled have their rights. It’s saddening to see that some greedy people who are after riches are leaving nothing to chance even using the disabled to raise money. The society must rise up against these crooked people and protect the disabled in the community,” she said.
Speaking while donating 20 tri-circles to needy persons living with disabilities drawn from Ruiru constituency on Saturday, Njuguna raised concern that a syndicate might be using the disabled kids to collect money from the public.
She called upon the authorities to crack the whip and dismantle the syndicate.
“They know very well that people will give the kids money out of sympathy but it seems they care less about the well-being of the kids because most of the time they seem tousled. This must come to an end. We have started our journey to reach out to the community to ensure that the disabled are protected," she said.
Lions Club Ruiru Charter President Peter Irungu said the lobby group has started a programme aimed at remembering and empowering the disabled in the community through giving them moral support as well as support for economic transformation so as to uplift their well-being.
“We’ve realised that society is slowly losing touch with its mandate to look after the less privileged and decided to initiate programmes to reach out to them and support them morally and economically. We will engage more partners so that we can reach out to more needy cases in this region,” Irungu said.
Jane Mugo, a member and an activist, called on the state to improve the protection of the disabled in the country and shield them from exploitation.