United Disabled Persons of Kenya -UDPK

20/08/2026

During our campaign, we not only advocated for accessible and inclusive work but we also sold our skills to potential employers.

African Disability Forum - ADF Light for the World Mastercard Foundation

20/08/2026

Joshua, not his real name, worked at a media house in Embu County. He loved his job and gave it his all. In the course of his work he was involved in an accident and acquired a physical impairment. His employer advised him to take time off to recover and return when he heals and “fit to work”.

When he was ready to return, his employer told him they could no longer accommodate him because they felt he was not fast enough for field work and he could not stand for long hours while operating a camera. Joshua tried to reason with his employer with hope to secure his job. He explained his skills were not limited to the field work only and there were other roles and task within his work environment/industry that he could still perform.

Instead of exploring ways to support Joshua like providing reasonable accommodation, ensuring accessibility or alternative responsibilities, his employer dismissed him from work.

Joshua is among one of the youth advocates taking part in the We Can Work youth advocates training that kicked off in Embu County. His experience is one of the many stories that we have heard this week around barriers faced by young people in access to employment.

On the first day, Joshua and the other advocates, drawn from different sub-counties, were still finding their place in the program. Representatives from partner organisations and the facilitators encouraged them to participate actively, share their experiences and make the most of the training.

By day two, the advocates had started building friendships and working together. They were asking questions and even challenging the concepts as they learnt and unlearned. The advocates picked up different roles exposing their leadership skills and became more confident to share their thoughts and contribute to the discussions.

As they continued to share their experiences, it became clear that Joshua's story was not an isolated one. Many of the advocates had faced barriers when seeking or in retaining employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Yet, despite knowing their rights, many of them did not know how to claim them or didn’t have the confidence to advocate for themselves. Others felt like doing it alone was hectic emphasizing the need for movement building. many had been unable to challenge these experiences or advocate for others facing similar barriers.

This is about to change.

Over two weeks of intensive advocacy training, the youth advocates will build their confidence and deepen their understanding of disability concepts and economic rights. They will gain the knowledge and skills they need to advocate for their own rights and those of others in their communities.
They will also learn more about the programme, its goals, and the role they can play in advancing the economic inclusion of young people with disabilities.

Light for the World African Disability Forum - ADF Mastercard Foundation

17/08/2026

During celebrations, we encountered different employers and service providers.

Some were open to learning, some were defensive, while others were dismissive, but we passed the message across.

should be applied everywhere, without limitations based on size or location.

Light for the World African Disability Forum - ADF Mastercard Foundation

14/08/2026

If facilities are inaccessible, businesses miss out on a valuable talent pool and a large customer base of persons with disabilities.



Light for the World African Disability Forum - ADF Mastercard Foundation

13/08/2026

We celebrated by appreciating the different contexts that youths with disabilities come from and the same aspirations that they have towards work.

If companies can serve persons with disabilities, can they also accommodate them in the workplace? Was the question we asked during our unplanned visits to the different companies as clients and potential employees. We also encouraged them to practically.



Light for the World African Disability Forum - ADF Mastercard Foundation

07/08/2026

We congratulate Hon. Isaac Mwaura Maigua on his promotion and redesignation as Head of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Disability Rights in the Executive Office of the President. This appointment is a significant milestone for Kenya and offers renewed hope that disability rights and inclusion will receive greater attention at the highest level of government.

Hon. Mwaura has devoted much of his public life to advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities. His experience provides a strong foundation for elevating disability issues within government and ensuring they receive sustained attention at the highest levels.

At the same time, the disability community will look beyond the announcement and focus on the practical impact of the new office. Several important questions remain... “Read the full statement on Dr. Isaac M. Mwaura’s appointment: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/12fuHUI_utcif5dOHoPKCXgnamL6OKKtI/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102693244485127295498&rtpof=true&sd=true]”

04/08/2026

03/08/2026

"As we bid Esther C. Mkamori goodbye, I urge all of us, even as we travel to Embu, Nyamira, and other counties, to mentor the young persons we interact with. They are the future Esthers. She has set the standard for all of us." Sally Nduta

We had the opportunity to celebrate and bid farewell to one of our longest-serving team members, Esther Mkamori, who has served the disability community through UDPK for over eight (8) years. It was a bittersweet moment.

She was not only dedicated and diligent in her service, but she was also, and will continue to be, a mentor and champion of the rights of persons with disabilities. She made the office a great place to work by appreciating and working well with people of different personalities, bringing out the best in each of them.

"Esther had a way of making you think her ideas were yours. She would brighten up and say, 'That's a brilliant idea!'"

"Esther would assign you a task, encourage you to run with it, and never micromanage. She was always there to provide guidance and support."

"Esther is the kind of person who walks into a room and instantly brightens the atmosphere. She believed in me when I wasn't even sure of my own abilities."

"I've made mistakes, and Esther would always tell me not to worry because it was part of the learning process."

As she embarks on her new journey, we wish her every success in her career and in life. She leaves behind a lasting legacy, and she will be deeply missed.

30/07/2026

For the past two weeks, we have been in Embu and Nyamira Counties. We met with young potential advocates and women-led, youth-led organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs).

“I link members of my self-help group with financial capacity strengthening trainings where they also receive financial support for their businesses .”

“I applied for a tender but I was shortchanged. I reported the matter and I was later considered”

“I make sure learners with disabilities get their fair share of bursary allocations.”

These are some of the amazing experiences shared by young advocates with disabilities who were hopeful to join the advocates training.

Despite the great work they are already doing, many still have gaps in their advocacy skills. Some are unfamiliar with rights-based advocacy, some have limited knowledge of their rights, while others have not yet developed the self-advocacy skills needed to create broader community impact.

When it comes to mainstream women-led and youth-led organizations, our analysis found that many do not include or meaningfully engage young persons with disabilities in leadership or programming. We sought to understand the challenges they face so that we can better support them. As we continue engaging these communities and organizations, we will work to strengthen the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society.

Light for the World African Disability Forum - ADF Mastercard Foundation

24/07/2026

Disability-inclusive elections require collective action.

We convened organizations of persons with disabilities ( ), aspirants with disabilities, leaders of disability wings within political parties, young leaders with disabilities, and civil society organizations( ) to generate insights for the Disability Electoral Reform Agenda and build consensus on priority advocacy issues for disability-inclusive elections ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The discussions reaffirmed our shared commitment to ensuring persons with disabilities can participate fully, effectively and equally throughout the electoral cycle.

Trust Centre for Multiparty Democracy Kenya Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC) and Reform Education Consortium (CRECO-Kenya) Observation Group KENYA (ELOG) of The Registrar of Political Parties