MCA Kandia challenges Wambora gov’t to make public toilets PWD friendly

 The Embu County Government has been petitioned to provide toilets that are accessible by Persons with Disability (PWDs) in towns and market centres.

Nominated MCA Bernard Kandia who had sought a ministerial statement on whether the Department of Trade and Industrialisation was aware that all public toilets across the county were not usable by physically challenged persons also demanded to know what steps the County Government of Embu had taken to correct the problem.

The Ward Rep stated that lack of disability compliant lavatories in public utility venues was a contravention of Section 27 of the Constitution of Kenya as it discriminated against PWDs, which is a violation of their rights. Kandia added that the County Government needed to act fast to ensure that public toilets are friendly to the PWDs.

In her response which was read on her behalf by the Trade Committee Chairman Masters Mwaniki, the County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Trade, Tourism, Investment and Industrialisation Dr Joan Mwende Kiema said Governor Martin Wambora was aware of the plight of PWDs in using public toilets. She was however quick to mention that there was no budgetary allocation for modifications to address the matter.

County Minister questioned

Kandia expressed dissatisfaction with the response from the CEC Member and said the department was in charge of its own budget. Deputy Speaker Steve Simba also aired his discontent with the reply and directed that the Trade Committee handles the matter within the next 30 days and ensures that adequate attention was directed to the access of public toilets by PWDs.

Simba who is also the MCA for Runyenjes Central Ward also proposed construction of a few units of PWD-friendly ablution blocks to be used as benchmarks for standard public toilets. Mwaniki; his Kiambere counterpart pledged to push for funding of the project in the County Supplementary Budget, saying it was possible to allocate funds even without such a request from the line department.

Mwaniki at the same time gave a clarion call to his colleagues to rally behind him when he introduces the budget line for provision of funds to renovate the county’s public toilets to make them accessible to the physically challenged. He said this was a genuine concern that required humane action by county leaders.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT, EDITED By MUSYOKA NGUI