Disability is not Inability

:: HAWKERS WITH DISABILITIES: A FINAL SOLUTION IS LONG OVERDUE.

'Disabled' street vendors stage sit-in over eviction.

"A group of physically disabled street vendors have been camping outside the Nation Center in Kimathi Street for the past one week and have vowed not to leave until their grievances are addressed" reports the Nairobi Star of of Monday 23rd July 2007.

"The hawkers were rendered destitute after City Hall banned hawking and vending on city streets. They want the council to allow them back into the streets".

The time has come for this issue to 1) be taken seriously and 2) be solved once and for all.

The issues of hawkers with disabilities in the city have been discussed with the City authorities for many years and many a times the city fathers have shown some concern. Yet non has ever come up with a concrete solution.

There are many things the Council can do that is within the mandate of the Council and in tandem with the person with disabilities Act.

But having said that it is important to note how unconcerned many in this city are to the plight of people with disabilities. Not the Mayor, not the Media nor the politicians have come up to even seek a forum to dialogue the city fathers.

We thought that governance by road-side policy directives by many of our political leadership working from frameworks that in themselves do not know nor respect Nairobi citizens with disabilities, were a thing of the Moi regime. Shame to politicians who call themselves democrats.

DISABILITYKENYA.