- Uwezo Fund calls for stronger partnerships to support persons with disabilities
- Stakeholders push for improved access to finance and economic opportunities
- Meeting highlights the need to turn inclusion policies into practical action
Uwezo Fund Chief Executive Officer Peter Lengapiani has called for stronger partnerships among government, the private sector and development partners to expand access to finance and economic opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Lengapiani spoke during a High-Level Stakeholders’ Breakfast meeting held at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) in Nairobi, which brought together representatives from government, development partners, the private sector, civil society, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), academic institutions and technology innovators.
The meeting was convened by the Executive Office of the President’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Disability Rights, led by Senator Isaac Mwaura, to advance Kenya’s national diversity and inclusion agenda through practical partnerships.
Lengapiani highlighted Uwezo Fund’s role in promoting financial inclusion and economic empowerment by providing accessible and affordable financing to organised groups of women, youth and persons with disabilities.
He said access to capital should be complemented by enterprise development, skills training, market linkages and other opportunities to help beneficiaries build sustainable livelihoods.
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Additionally, Lengapiani urged continued collaboration among government institutions, private-sector players, development partners and other stakeholders to address barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from accessing finance and economic opportunities.
Senator Mwaura called for a shift from policy commitments to practical implementation, urging stronger cross-sector collaboration to create an enabling environment for the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in Kenya’s social and economic development.
Stakeholders also discussed policy and legislative implementation, employment and financial inclusion, accessible communication, assistive technology, disability-disaggregated data, county-level implementation and institutional capacity.
Delegates further called for stronger private-sector and university partnerships to advance assistive technology, improved collection of disability-disaggregated data, better implementation at county level, and structured resource mobilisation to strengthen institutional capacity.
The meeting underscored the need for coordinated action and strategic partnerships to ensure that inclusion policies translate into tangible opportunities and improved livelihoods for persons with disabilities.
Ultimately, Uwezo Fund reaffirmed its commitment to expanding equitable access to capital, enterprise development and economic empowerment as part of its mandate to promote inclusive economic participation across Kenya.
By Lizzy Aluga
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