OPDs Driving Change: Kenya Disability Act 2025

News | August 19, 2025

“Nothing about us, without us.” This principle is now firmly embedded in the landmark Kenya Persons with Disabilities Act 2025. Replacing the outdated 2003 law, the new Act ushers in a rights-based and inclusive framework aligned with Article 54 of the Constitution of Kenya and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

For the first time, disability is recognised not just as a welfare concern, but as a human rights and development issue. The Act introduces powerful enforcement mechanisms to ensure accountability—mandating 5% representation of persons with disabilities in public service, restructuring the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), prohibiting discrimination, enforcing accessibility standards, promoting inclusive education, supporting assistive technologies, and requiring disability rights training for key service providers.

Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) at the Heart of Change

CBM Global Kenya played a pivotal role in this reform through advocacy and programming, especially via the OPDs Leadership Engagement and Development (LEAD) Project, which empowered Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to engage meaningfully in public participation, strengthen leadership, and sharpen advocacy skills. This shift ensured that the law was not written for persons with disabilities, but with them.

• Lucy Nkatha from Kiengu Women Challenged to Challenge joined the Eastern Region working group and submitted views on the needs of women with disabilities in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). These views were reflected in Section 10, which states: “The State shall take measures to ensure the full development, advancement and empowerment of women with disabilities.” 
• Hope Women with Disability OPD in Kisumu participated at the county level to advocate for fair allocation of resources, they submitted views on disability inclusion and the mandate of the county government especially in allocation and transfer of functions from the national government to the county government. Their input is echoed in Section 4, which requires the national government to “allocate adequate resources for programmes targeting persons with disabilities and ensure equity in distribution.”
• In Turkana, OPDs pushed for inclusive education and healthcare, and courageously addressed deep-rooted cultural barriers. They highlighted how persons with disabilities are often viewed as “an omen or a curse” by some communities, leading to exclusion and stigma. Their advocacy helped shape provisions in Section 11, which calls for “awareness-raising to combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices relating to persons with disabilities.” This contribution was vital in ensuring the Act responds not only to systemic gaps but also to cultural realities that affect the dignity and inclusion of people with disabilities.

“Budget allocation to the county government is not just important it’s the heartbeat of implementation. If counties don’t get the resources, the law remains words on paper.” Caroline Agwanda, one of the OPD members

A New Way of Working

According to Edwin Osundwa, CBM Global Kenya Country Director:

“The shift in engaging OPDs is monumental, it is not about their voices and views being raised through intermediaries but it’s about facilitating the OPDs themselves to engage in processes and say what they must say.”  

This Act is more than a piece of legislation—it is a testament to the power of OPDs to influence national reform and reshape society. For CBM Global, it represents the most significant shift yet in how we work: true partnership, built on agency, leadership, and lived experience.

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