By Eddah Waithaka
Senator Crystal Asige this week unveiled the comprehensive details of the new Persons with Disabilities Act, 2025, a landmark piece of legislation she sponsored that promises to transform the social and economic landscape for millions of Kenyans.
The new law, which replaces a 2003 statute, introduces sweeping reforms designed to dismantle systemic barriers and shift public perception of disability from one of limitation to one of diversity and capability.
“Disability itself does not discriminate. It is just an identity, like being black, like being a woman,” Senator Asige, who is visually impaired, told an audience of media and advocates.
“But society has managed to make disability a barrier. This act is a demand for a shift away from that mindset.”
Key Provisions for a More Inclusive Kenya
The act establishes several firsts for Kenya. It formally recognizes and protects neurodiversity including autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome, under the law for the first time.
It also mandates significant changes across public life.
Employment
The law requires companies with more than 20 employees to hire at least one person with a disability. To incentivize this, it offers tax breaks and production credits to employers who make their workplaces accessible.
Housing
A new provision reserves 5% of all government-built affordable housing units for persons with disabilities, offering interest-free, long-term financing for acquisition.
Digital Access
The act mandates that all government and private sector digital platforms, including websites and social media, must be fully accessible, with features like alt-text and screen reader compatibility. Non-compliance can now result in fines or legal action.
Protections
The law makes it a criminal offense, punishable by fines or imprisonment, to force a person with a disability to beg on the streets.
Senator Asige, drawing on her personal experience of gradually losing her sight during her university years, framed the law as a tool for practical change.
“I lived on both sides of the street,” she said. “I wanted to draft something that didn’t just acknowledge our disability, but something that acts with us as a child, independent, and community.”
Addressing Past Failures, Launching a New Census
The Senator also launched a bold new initiative following her legislative victory, a push for a special national census focused solely on persons with disabilities.
She highlighted glaring discrepancies in past national counts, noting that the reported population of persons with disabilities sharply fell from 1.3 million in 2009 to 960,000 in 2019, a figure far below the global average of 15%.
“Where are the 413,620 persons with disabilities?” she asked. “This notable contrast has been the bone of our contentious disability fraternity for 20 years. If we are not counted, we do not count.”
She argued that accurate data is the cornerstone for effective planning, budgeting, and implementing the new act’s provisions
Senator Asige directly challenged Kenya’s media industry to become partners in building what she called “mental ramps” for inclusion.
She called on newsrooms to ensure their own platforms and workplaces are accessible and to dedicate airtime to disability awareness programming.
“You have the power to translate complex legal texts into everyday, simple language and to ask tough questions,” she said. “How many persons with disabilities are employed in your media office? How many times a year do you conduct an audit of the accessibility of your building?”
With the law now in place, Senator Asige stated that the era of “agonizing” is over. The next phase, she said, is to organize and hold the government accountable for implementation.
“This next phase is about proving that a fortified state can lead from the front, breaking barriers, shifting mindsets, and giving every Kenyan the dignity of being seen and heard,” she concluded.
