KEPSA Foundation, represented by Mr. Stephen Njenga, the Country Director of the Light for the World, participated in the 1^st National Disability Dialogue held at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) on 15^th and 16^th March 2023. The event was co-hosted by the State Department for Social Services, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), and the Christian Blind Mission (CBM) under the theme, ‘Building Back Better on Disability Inclusion: Progress, Opportunities and Challenges Towards achieving the Global Disability Summit Commitments.’

Discussions of the forum centered around taking stock of the progress made by Kenya in the implementation of the global and national commitments set during the 1^st Global Disability Summit that was co-hosted by the former UK Department for International Development (DFID), the International Disability Alliance (IDA), and the Government of Kenya in July 2018. The discussion further provided a platform for sharing, learning, and reflecting on where efforts could best be concentrated to achieve a much greater sustainable and long-lasting impact.

Mr. Njenga participated in a panel discussion alongside Mr. Sammy Cheboi, The Commission on Administrative of Justice of Kenya; Ms. Agnetta Rodi, Law Society of Kenya; Ms. Tabitha Kioko, Safaricom PLC; and Mr. Martin Gaya, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. The panel theme was around Public Private Partnerships and Disability Inclusion and sought to provide insights on the role of public-private partnerships in inclusion, challenges, and opportunities in implementing the Global Disability Summit Resolutions. Further, Mr. Njenga took to discuss unlocking employment opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in the private sector.

Mr. Njenga noted that KEPSA has been at the forefront of advocating for the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the country's economic agenda and seeking solutions to different marginalizing challenges that obstruct their full potential in the business arena through initiatives such as; Supplier Diversity Summits to educate businesses and other stakeholders about the benefits of including women, youth, and PWDs in all levels of procurement, and involvement in the formulation of the Public Procurement and Disposal (Preference and Reservations) Regulations, 2011, and continues to advocate for both public and private enterprises to follow them.

 Kenya is among the countries that have achieved significant strides in promoting inclusion in social, political, and economic development programs. This includes guaranteeing equal access to high-quality education, employment, economic prospects, and positions of leadership in both the public and private sectors. However, the latest Board Diversity and Inclusion Survey report by KEPSA, Kenya Institute of Management (KIM), Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), and New Faces New Voices (NFNV) revealed that there is no disaggregated data on disability representation, with negligible representation recorded in Kenyan boardrooms.

Resolutions from the summit included; fast-tracking policies, strategies, and legislations that promote and protect Disability Inclusion, provision of accessible infrastructure, devices, and services, enhanced participation and decision-making, economic empowerment, and ending stigma associated with Disability, ensuring no one is left behind.