Nominated MP and human rights activist Umulkher Harun Mohamed has praised the government's assistive devices factory in Kisii County as a game changer for children living with disabilities, saying it is helping lower the cost of essential equipment, improve access to specialised support and ease the burden on families that previously depended on costly imports.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Thursday, Umulkher said the facility reflects progress in Kenya's efforts to support persons with disabilities, particularly children who require assistive devices and rehabilitation services. She noted that local production is making equipment more accessible to families who have long struggled with high prices.
According to the legislator, the factory has helped address a major gap by producing assistive devices within the country rather than relying on imports.
"One thing I really like that President William Samoei Ruto has done is quietly establish a whole factory at Kisii. It is there to provide assistive devices to children who have special needs, something that wasn't there before. Before, we would import these things at a very pricey cost, but what Kenya is doing now is setting up its own factory to produce these devices."
She explained that the facility not only manufactures the equipment but also provides assessments to help determine the specific needs of each child before devices are issued.
"If you're a parent of a child with a disability, you go to Kisii, do your testing and assessments. That is something progressive. I came across it while I was still in the opposition, and I said its impressive. Something as simple as that factory is crucial."
Umulkher said the factory produces a variety of assistive devices, including wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs, helping families access equipment that was previously difficult to obtain because of the high cost of imported products.
"They make everything there for you. It is a factory that was launched, I think, in 2023, and the goal was to ensure we reduce the costs. These items are very expensive. Each prosthetic might cost up to forty or fifty thousand shillings, and as children grow, they outgrow them. This is something the government has done specifically to support children who need these gadgets."
While welcoming the initiative, she said making assistive devices affordable is only one aspect of addressing the needs of children living with disabilities.
The MP called for stronger efforts to promote early diagnosis and intervention, arguing that many conditions are detected too late despite opportunities for screening soon after birth.
"You find a mother realises when the child is one year old that the child cannot hear. At the hospital level there are numerous things that every child should go through. They should check if the child is deaf or blind. A lot of hearing issues can be reversed if they are addressed at an early stage, but we have not achieved that as a country."
She said disability screening should be integrated into routine child healthcare in the same way immunisation programmes are conducted, allowing health workers to identify hearing and vision challenges early and provide timely support.
Umulkher further highlighted the financial strain faced by many families raising children with disabilities, noting that in some households one parent is forced to stay at home to provide full-time care, reducing the family's earning capacity.
She revealed that Parliament is considering measures aimed at supporting such families while also improving access to specialised services and assistive equipment.
Although Kenya has made progress in supporting persons with disabilities, Umulkher maintained that continued investment in local manufacturing, early detection programmes and family support systems will be critical in ensuring children with disabilities receive the care, equipment and opportunities they need to live independently and participate fully in society.