Kenya Allocates Sh250 Million for Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities

Kenya is taking a significant step towards promoting the economic inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities, with the government allocating Sh250 million in 2025 to support education, economic empowerment, and assistive technologies for individuals with disabilities. The allocation was announced by Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs Principal Secretary Joseph Motari during the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in New York. The funds will be used to enhance the socio-economic status of persons with disabilities and improve their access to education, employment, and healthcare.

Key Takeaways:

• The government has allocated Sh250 million in 2025 to support the economic empowerment of persons with disabilities, focusing on education, economic empowerment, and assistive technologies.
• The funding will benefit approximately 63,000 households, with over 20,000 beneficiaries receiving support under the Autism and Developmental Disabilities programme.
• In 2024, the government distributed around 4,200 assistive devices and awarded 2,500 scholarships to learners with disabilities.
• Kenya's new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) now covers assistive technology, rehabilitation, and long-term care, collecting essential disability-disaggregated data to inform policy and planning.
• The government has enacted a revised Persons with Disabilities Act and the National Disability Policy in 2025, aligning with the CRPD and the African Charter Protocol.
• Kenya has institutionalised participatory budgeting to better reflect the needs of persons with disabilities and is scaling up disability rights advocacy, promoting inclusive education, and championing a 15 percent international cooperation target for disability inclusion.

Statistics:

• Sh250 million allocated in 2025 for the economic empowerment of persons with disabilities.
• 63,000 households benefiting from government cash transfer programs.
• 20,000 plus beneficiaries supported under the Autism and Developmental Disabilities program.
• 4,200 assistive devices distributed in 2024.
• 2,500 scholarships awarded to learners with disabilities in 2024.
• Monthly stipends of Sh2,000 provided to each beneficiary under government cash transfer programs.

Sources:

• Joseph Motari, Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs Principal Secretary, as quoted in a press release during the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in New York.
• Kenya's Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, press release.