Persons living with disabilities strike truce after three years of wrangles

New county officials. [James Omoro, Standard]

Persons living with disabilities have ended a three-year leadership dispute that had split their organisation into two rival factions.

The Homa-Bay County Disability Forum, the original umbrella body advocating for the rights of persons living with disability, had been split into Homa Bay County Forum for the Disabled, under the leadership of Rockafeller Okeyo, and Homa Bay County Disability Forum, led by Bernard Agan.

Each faction was operating independently, which caused inefficiency in service delivery to people living with disability in the county.

The two have now closed ranks to form one umbrella group, the Homa Bay County Disability Forum.

They have also elected new officials to head the organisation.

The new team is headed by Tom Okiki as chairperson, Hellen Olwa (vice-chairperson), Jacob Omoro (secretary-general), Masline Ngala (treasurer) and David Ocholla (co-ordinator), among other officials.

Okiki said they agreed to work together after acknowledging the setbacks that resulted from the division.

Omoro said the division impeded service delivery to the group since some officials used the positions for the wrong reasons. “There were those taking advantage of the division to serve their selfish interests.”

Ocholla said: “There has been confusion, which made it difficult for the county government to know which group of people with disabilities to work with.”