Disabled to support Kibaki

From: East African Standard, Kenya
Nov. 1, 2002

By Clare Barasa

Disability Electoral Power, a National lobby group for the disabled, has declared their support for Opposition Presidential candidate Mwai Kibaki.

The group consists of the Kenya Union for the Blind, Kenya Association for the Deaf, and Kenya Society for the Physically Handicapped.

Led by co-ordinator, Mr Munyi Chomba, the group said the disabled had been sidelined politically under the present Government.

He said they had opted to the National Rainbow Coalition(Narc) due to their keen interest in catering for the needs of the disabled.

"This time round we have decided to settle for a party that will identify itself with the needs and aspirations of persons with disabilities" he said.

He said Narc sought out the disabled, a thing the ruling party Kanu has never done during elections.

He said they would consolidate votes countrywide to ensure disabled people in the country vote as a block for Kibaki.

Speaking at a press conference, Munyi said there were about three million disabled people in the country whose votes were crucial in determining the country's fate.

Munyi said he will sign a memorandum of understanding between themselves and Narc so as to promote the interests of the disabled.

He said the current Constitution failed to address the needs of the disabled adequately, adding that over the years, no disabled person had headed a parastatal or a ministry.

© The Standard Limited