PM suspends persons with disabilities national boards

PM suspends persons with disabilities national boards Written By:PMPS/Kbc Reporter,    Posted: Wed, Aug 01, 2012

Odinga said the two organizations lacked proper structures that could enable persons living with disabilities to access their funds Prime Minister Raila Odinga has suspended the boards of National Council for Persons with Disability and the National Development Fund for the Disabled. He at the same time ordered the efficiency monitoring unit to commence a forensic audit over reports of misappropriation of funds for the disabled persons amounting to 1.8 billion shillings. This came even as the Kenya Society of Mentally Handicapped took to the streets demanding, that the entire National council for persons with disabilities be dissolved and the Ethics and Anti corruption moves in to launch investigations. Addressing members of the caucus of disabled persons outside his office, Odinga expressed concern that the two organizations lacked proper structures that could enable the disabled to access their funds given to them by the government and foreign donors. Noting that the constitution protected the rights of all Kenyans including the disabled persons, the PM said the government will take appropriate action to ensure that the rights of the disabled persons are protected under the law. He said, "Anyone found to have misappropriated money from the two organizations will face the full force of the law." The angry society officials stormed the Ethics and Anti corruption offices accusing the Council and the Fund of  failing  to account for over 130million shillings meant to be disbursed to disabled persons in 2011. On Tuesday,  the council's  director Phoebe Nyagudi defended her organization stating that the fund received 640m shillings for development programmes and 385m for Social Protection Cash Transfer adding that the cash transfer which now reaches 70 beneficiaries in each constituency is largely targeted to Severe Disabled Persons most of whom have Mental Disabilities. Women empowerment Elsewhere, the PM has pledged his commitment to advance the course of women in the country in the spirit of the new constitution. He promised to mobilise support for the enactment of related legislation that were necessary for the realization of women's rights, empowerment and welfare in the society. The PM, who signed a charter declaring his pledge, said that proper mechanisms must be put in place to ensure proper gender representation in the next parliament to avoid a constitutional crisis. He was addressing a lobby group of organizations championing for gender related issues who paid him a courtesy call at his office to enlist his support, to facilitate the passing of the constitutional amendment bill. The group under the patronage the National Women steering committee derives membership from government departments, development partners and civil Society organizations. The premier said ‘'It has been a long road to reach where we are yet implementation of the constitution is where hard work begins''. He said that women's rights, empowerment, welfare and participation in public and power structures have been impeded by structural forces arising from cultural, religious and other social obstacles. Odinga noted this is not only detrimental to the advancement of women but also the country in general. ‘'Proper legal framework for implementation of the constitution must be put in place' 'he said. The PM said that the constitution provides for devolution where power moves from the centre to the periphery where a majority of Kenyans live. The Kenya Women's Political alliance chairperson Daisy Amdany  thanked the PM for commitment adding that the that government should take specific action by enacting enabling legislation s to give full effect to affirmative action provisions as provided in the constitution. She said that it was the duty of the government to ensure that there is increased women representation at all levels of decision making. Eeva Alarcon deputy head of Mission embassy of Finland and UN representative Zebib Kavuna said that the donor community was keen to support the country to realize gender equality. The constitutional amendment bill when enacted will make it mandatory to balance gender parity in decision making bodies to ensure that a single gender did not enjoy more than two thirds of elective slots.