Disability Act 2025: Time for Kenya to invest in inclusion

Kenya stands at a crossroads for disability inclusion. With the passage of the Persons with Disabilities Act (2025) in May 2025, the country holds one of the most progressive legal frameworks on disability in Africa. This legislation comes amidst unprecedented global momentum on disability rights. Rarely do domestic reform and international opportunity align so closely. Kenya now has the chance to demonstrate what real, resourced, accountable disability inclusion looks like, not only for its citizens but for the world. The 2025 Act is transformative because it reframes disability inclusion as a national development priority, rather than a welfare concern. It mandates that national and county governments integrate disability considerations across all sectors , including education, health, employment, justice, infrastructure, and political participation. This holistic take marks a departure from the fragmented approach in the past and ensures that services and infrastructure are accessible to everyone. The shift is urgently needed. The 2022 Kenya Demographic Health Survey estimates 5.2 per cent of the population (2.7 million Kenyans) has some form of disability, rising to 7.8 per cent of those aged 5-19 years old. The consequences of exclusion are stark; the 2023 Support Needs Assessment Report by the State Department for Social Protection finds 55 per cent of all children with disabilities are not attending school. These children are excluded not because of a lack of potential, but because of barriers to services and participation. Kenya's legislative shift comes just months after the 2025 Global Disability Summit (GDS) in Berlin. A major outcome of the Summit was the Amman-Berlin Declaration on Global Disability Inclusion, endorsed by 103 governments (including Kenya), international and regional organisations, and UN entities. This declaration urges that 15 per cent of all Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes in a country support disability inclusion by 2028, an ambitious but achievable benchmark. Kenya has long positioned itself as a leader in the global disability inclusion agenda. It co-hosted the first GDS in 2018 in London and at the 2025 Summit, pledged to strengthen disability-responsive public budgeting. With UNICEF, Germany, and 74 other governments, Kenya endorsed a roadmap to transform disability inclusion from aspiration to action. The establishment of a Joint Helpdesk, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development with support from Germany's GIZ and UNICEF, provides an opportunity for Kenya and other countries to increase ODA directed towards disability inclusion. The Stark Reality of the funding gap Despite its aspirations, a 2025 report by the Directorate of Social Development and UNICEF, Investing in Disability Inclusive and Gender-Responsive Care and Support Systems Across the Life Cycle in Kenya, finds that Kenya spends only 0.04 per cent of its total economic output (GDP) on disability inclusion spending, as compared to Zambia (0.14 per cent) and Namibia (0.5 per cent). The same report suggests that Kenya needs to increase its spending to 4.89 per cent of its annual government expenditure. Providing social protection for people with disabilities is a proven way to reduce poverty and inequality. Accessible schools and health care help people develop important skills, while assistive devices and support services help them be productive. Reducing the care burden, especially for women, increases their participation in the workforce and strengthens the economy. Investments in disability inclusion benefits everyone and helps in a country's progress. This investment isn't just good social policy; it's a test of national ambition and leadership. The ongoing 2026/27 budget process offers Kenya an extraordinary opportunity to align its law, its budget, and its international commitments. The timing could not be more urgent. With ODA declining and insufficiently targeted to disability inclusion, Kenya must rely on domestic financing to implement the law it has passed. This is an opportunity to set a continental standard for how countries can finance inclusive development sustainably. An essential part of this is involving persons with disabilities in the budget process; something UNICEF has actively supported with funding through the Global Disability Fund. Kenya is uniquely positioned to show how disability inclusion can be embedded in a devolved system of government, integrated into social protection systems, and tied to national planning and budgeting cycles. Turning Promise into Progress Kenya has taken a bold and commendable step by enacting the Persons with Disabilities Act (2025). But laws alone do not ensure the rights they promise. Inclusive budgets do. Political resolve does. The spotlight is on Kenya, and millions are counting on action. Will Kenya step up and deliver the future it has promised? The 2026/27 budget cycle is Kenya's chance to act decisively to transform commitments into change, frameworks into services, and rights into lived reality. Now is the moment to invest in inclusion. Kenya must not let it pass. Groth is the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Kenya, Seychelles, and Somalia and Dr Nilofer is the Representative, UNICEF Kenya.

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