The Mountain Journal
A bill in parliament calls for listing of parents with children suffering from autism in the cash transfer programme.
Government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said the parents with such children once the bill is passed will access the government kitty as they spend most of their time attending to their children.
Speaking at Muriranja hospital in Murang’a when he presided over the issuance of devices to the persons with special needs, Mwaura said the bill calls on parents with children with disabilities to access the kitty.
“ The government allocates Sh100 million for those with developmental disability annually and once the bill sails through the parents with such children will be considered,” said Mwaura.
Mwaura, who was accompanied by officials from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), said Murang’a had the highest number of persons with special needs in the country, thus allocating more resources to change lives.
“ The Murang’a county government under Governor Irungu Kang’ata should allocate more resources to improve their living standards through supporting them with wheelchairs and other devices,” said Mwaura.
He spoke when he presided over the issuance of the wheel chairs to more than 300 people.
Kang’ata said his administration has adopted a blueprint to establish psychotherapy units in all the constituencies to assist the increasing number in dire need for the support.
The government he said established the first psychotherapy unit at Kirwara hospital in Gatanga, and the second at Muriranja hospital.
“ Every year we have a programme to establish such centres within the reach of the people,” said Kang’ata.
During the function, MCAs called for the government to allow assessment of the persons with special needs be done at the ward level.
In the function, MCAs led by James Kamwaga(Mugoiri) and James Kabera(Kamahuha), called for assessment to be established in the wards to save the majority from travelling long distances to the major hospitals.
Kabera said he was forced to transport tens of people for assessment thus the exercise should be done closer to the people to save them from incurring high costs.
“This will end the culture of middlemen coming in between,” said Kabera.
Ahadi Trust Executive Director Stanley Kamau said his organisation will cater for the transport cost for the assessment teams when moving to conduct the assessments in the villages.
