Mombasa PWDs call for inclusion in electoral process

Persons with disability in Mombasa have decried their lack of involvement in the electoral process by IEBC.

The PWDs on Saturday said they have been forgotten making most of them fail to participate in the electoral process due to a lack of systems put in place for their involvement.

Human Rights Agenda said they are seeking ways through which the PWDS can get justice, even if it means seeking legal redress over their non-involvement in the electoral process.

“Nobody talks about how the PWDs can participate in these elections yet they are faced with numerous challenges including accessibility, access to information, participation in the electoral process, among others,” Huria’s Anthony Maganga said.

He spoke on the sidelines of a forum of the PWDs who aired the frustrations they encounter before, during and after every election.

He said difficulties in accessing polling centres for PWDs, are brought about by the lack of basic data on the number of PWDs and the types of disabilities they have.

“If stakeholders had the data, they would be able to address them before voting day, for example,” Maganga said.

He said sometimes the ballot boxes are placed at heights that are too high for some, making it difficult for dwarfs to access them.

“Does IEBC have the segregated data on PWDs in the country and particular polling stations so they can have systems in place to make it easier for them to vote on elections day?” Maganga posed.

Maganga said the voter verification exercise currently ongoing does not indicate whether a voter has a disability or not.

Through an interpreter, Catherine Matara, Babelyne Mukila, who cannot hear or speak, said she is vying to be nominated as a special interest person in the Mombasa county assembly, through ODM.

However, she said there are few interpreters in public offices making it difficult to communicate her issues.

“I am forced to tag along with an interpreter friend who will interpret for me to be understood. Sometimes there is no one available so I do not visit the offices,” Mukila said.

She said in most cases, people do not believe the deaf and dumb until they produce their disability identity card.

“People think we are always lying,” Mukila said.

She said in many polling stations there are no ramps for the physical challenges and braille for the blind.

Former nominated MCA Hardson Karume, who represented PWDs in the Mombasa county assembly between 2013 and 2017, said the security of PWDs is not guaranteed in political rallies.

He said there are more the 20,000 PWDs in Mombasa currently.

“The involvement of PWDs in the electoral process is quite low. IEBC and political parties in most cases do not put emphasis on PWDs,” Karume said.

The Vision of the Blind executive director said civic education, voter registration, verification and education usually have a low number of PWDs taking part due to lack of information.

“Access to information contributes a lot to the number of PWDs taking part in elections,” Karume said.

“If we don’t get information about what is going on, how will we take part in them?"

He said if they get to the political or planning meetings, in most cases, there are no provisions for PWDs like ramps, braille, or interpreters, among others.

On voting day, he said, if such provisions are not available, PWDs depend on the agents in polling stations for help.

“This increases the risk of the agents influencing the PWD’s vote,”  Karume said.

He said at the polling stations, most officers usually have little or no training on disability inclusion.

“Most, therefore, do not know how to handle PWDs. You find them forcing PWDs to stand in line for long which should not be the case,”  Karume said.

He said political parties, the society and other entities usually do not support PWDs seeking elective positions.

“When we vie, they tell us there are special seats for us. Does it mean we cannot vie because there are special seats for PWDs?”Karume posed.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris