Nakuru played host to World Autism Awareness Day 2025 national event with calls to end stigma around autistic children and families.
This, even as a study conducted in 2022 cited stigma as a major challenge in addressing autism and challenges that come with the condition.
Speaking in Nakuru on Wednesday April 2, 2025 during the event, National Council for Persons With Disability in charge of Programs Officer Winfred Wairimu Mbugua called on the society to shun stigma around autism.
She urged parents who have children with autism to come out and ensure they register with the council for easy assistance to the lot.
While noting that therapy is key to autism children and persons, Ms Winfred noted that stigma has continued to hinder parents from availing their children.
She revealed various measures put in place by the council towards welfare of the autistic children and persons.
These include therapy, medication for essential services as well as diapers for those who use the same.
According to her, a research done in 2022 across the country is what informed the council on the measures after it emerged that stigma is still a challenge in society.
Shame behind mental disability also generally came up even on education and therapy, and this is what informed the distribution of assistive devices, education scholarships, diapers as well as sensitization and economic empowerment of parents to have their children go for therapy.
“Today we commemorate World Autism Awareness Day even as April is World Autism Awareness Month and urge the society that we do away with stigma around,” she stated.
The NCPWD has been running a one week awareness that commenced on Saturday in Nairobi, all through Naivasha with the commemoration taking place today in Nakuru.
The focus is now on registration of the persons with autism.
The census of 2019 revealed that over 300,000 persons with Neuro diverse disabilities in the country.
Though the cause of autism is yet to be identified medically, but stakeholders are working on medication and therapy.
Sentiments echoed by Dr. Sophia Moraa-Founder Andy Speaks for Special Needs Persons Africa championing for the inclusion of Autisms and other PWDs.
She revealed that everyone year they participate in cycle for autism.
Already the team has commenced various initiatives among them habilitation services towards welfare of Autistic children, equipping the autistic learners’ centres with special equipment.
She revealed that habilitation centres will be set up at Pangani Special School as well as CITAM Nakuru.
While lauding this year’s theme on the Sustainable Goals, she added that their focus is also on the same even through the cycle with Autism for the last 6 years.
“We want to ensure that inclusion in health, education, reducing inequalities and ensuring partnerships. we thank all our partners who worked towards ensuring success of the projects,” she stated.
Nakuru County Occupational therapist Joseph Koech on his part lauded the organizers and partners for ensuring a successful national event in Nakuru.
Koech revealed that Nakuru County has made strides at Nakuru Level 5 in partnership with APDK where the clients receive therapy and medication on subsidized fee.
The department of health at county has also continued to provide human resource with the subsidized services for PWDs now being rolled to all the subcounties.
He reiterated the need for registration to enable the PWDs clients receive the much needed care.
“Most of our clients of Autisms come from urban centres. We are working on attending to all even in the rural areas through sensitization to reach more,” he stated.
Sentiments echoed by Nakuru County Chief officer for Gender, Social Services and Inclusivity Gladys Kamuren.
She noted that the County Disability Fund has continued to empower various PWDs Groups through income generating activities.
The roll out towards June of this year shall be at Ward Level to reach more PWDs Groups.
Meanwhile, the County has commenced a Information Management System program for PWDs.
All one needs to do is to Google Nakuru.org/assistive and will be able to fill a form that reflects in the department for assistive devices.
Another system is Nakuru.org/empowerment for empowerment of PWDs as well as waivers for PWDs in businesses.
“The systems is to enable us reach the PWDs and assist them,” she added.
Kamuren used the moment to urge the society to shun stigma around PWDs, but rather embrace them and ensure inclusivity.
This, even as parents with autistic children and persons with autism attended the event in large numbers.
Addressing press, they lauded the government for the efforts put in place, but stated that there is still more to be done towards their welfare.
