A lobby group has threatened to take legal action against political parties which have failed to abide by the constitution in their list of proposed nominees for various seats.
Kisumu County Disability Forum (KICODIF) chairman Charles Ojwando has lamented that minimum provisions concerning nomination of disabled persons were not strictly adhered to by parties.
The group said political parties should have been guided by Chapter 6 of the New Constitution and related laws on leadership to give nominations to people living with disability in the Senate and County Assembly, Parliament and Women Representatives.
“If political parties do not ratify their lists so that they conform to the constitution, we will move to court to challenge the legality of the party lists and take the matter all the way to the Supreme Court,” Ojwando warned.
He feared that people with disabilities could be underrepresented in the Senate and National Assembly going by the party lists that have been made public so far.
He appealed to those aspiring to represent the physically challenged to work closely with the group to fight for representation in the devolved government.
“We are an integral part of the society and therefore, our democratic right has to be included in every development agenda,” he argued.
Ojwando explained that to determine the share of persons with disabilities, various parties should have approached KICODIF for authenticated list of nominees, arguing that they are better placed to know those capable of articulating their issues.
He appealed to the respective political parties to consult disability groups at county levels before making any appointment for any leadership position.
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