Unemployment and poverty have been identified as the major challenges facing persons with disabilities in Kenya. Labour Market Assessment commissioned by Sightsavers shows that persons with disabilities constitute less than 2% of the workforce in Kenya.
Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Labour, Simon Chelugui, says that empowering persons with disabilities economically is a human right. Therefore, more inclusivity of the disabled has been recommended to ensure a more productive society. The Persons with Disability Bill (2013) seeks that 5% of contractual and casual jobs in the country be reserved for persons with disabilities.
With regard to inclusivity, Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) has announced plans to accelerate the inclusion of persons with disabilities into formal employment and across its entire value chain in the company. The brewer has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Inclusive Futures partner, Sightsavers that’s geared towards mainstreaming the inclusion of persons with disabilities into the business.
KBL Managing Director, John Musunga affirmed the company’s commitment to helping the government reach and surpass this target. “We are committed to creating an inclusive, collaborative culture that benefits both society and our business. We recognize the underrepresentation of people living with disabilities in employment and supply chains across businesses. As a result, we are keen on mapping opportunities for inclusion along our value chain and shaping market-leading policies and practices in a bid to empower them and improve their livelihoods. Through this partnership, we will sustainably absorb persons with disabilities into the core business opportunities in the value chain,” he said.
“Empowered persons with disabilities can compete equitably in the job market and contribute to the country’s economic growth. It is crucial that companies adopt practices and policies designed to identify and remove barriers that hamper persons with disabilities full participation in economic activities, both in the formal and informal sectors. We commend KBL and Sightsavers for the great work they are doing to ensure the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the workforce”, said Chelugui.
