Persons with disabilities in Kenya are increasingly shaping policies and systems to ensure national efforts in promoting decent work and social inclusion reflect lived experiences. Benter Bella Mboya, based in Kisumu County, is a leading advocate, bringing her perspective as a woman with a physical disability into national discussions on inclusion.
Growing up as the only student with a disability in her year, Benter actively participated in school despite persistent barriers. She later attended college as a day scholar, navigating daily commutes and long distances across Maseno University during her attachments, which presented additional challenges.
Entering the labor market, Benter faced significant obstacles. She applied for multiple jobs without success and started a small business to support herself. Eventually, she secured employment in Nakuru County. In 2020, she was appointed Village Administrator in Kisumu County, selected from a competitive pool of over 1,600 applicants, including few women and persons with disabilities. Her onboarding experience exposed structural barriers, such as inaccessible public buildings, highlighting broader challenges for persons with disabilities in accessing employment.
Benter is now an active member of the Kenyan Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities, contributing to initiatives that promote the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Her experience also informs the work of the International Labour Organization in Kenya, which, with support from the Global Disability Fund, strengthens disability-inclusive policies, systems, and services.
Through a UN joint programme involving ILO, UNICEF, and UNFPA, persons with disabilities are actively engaged in shaping national initiatives. The programme works with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, employers, and trade unions, leading to practical tools such as guidelines on meaningful participation, training modules on disability rights, guidance on the 5 percent employment quota, and a national strategy to combat discrimination and stigma.
Benter emphasizes the importance of including persons with disabilities in decision-making, asserting that their lived experience makes them essential contributors to effective policies and programs. As Kenya advances its disability-inclusive development agenda, the participation of individuals like Benter is vital to ensuring that policies and programs genuinely address the needs of persons with disabilities.
