Thika West sub-county DCC Tom Anjere has announced a two-week ultimatum to rid of beggars from town Thika streets.
Anjere said this in Thika town on Wednesday when overseeing the delivery of various donations from National Fund for the Disabled in Kenya (NFDK) to people living with disabilities in the sub-county. "There is a need to have a total paradigm shift on how we treat people living with disabilities. Taking them to the streets is not the way to go," Anjere said.
He added: "We have set a two-week ultimatum to clear all beggars from Thika streets. We are not just going to remove them from the streets and leave them but we will empower them."
He said that they will involve all the stakeholders to initiate a campaign that will discourage people from going to the streets for alms. The DCC further added that a plan was underway to carry out a census of all the disabled people in the sub-county so as to make it easier when offering available help to them.
Anthony Muli from NFDK said that the Sh857,000 donations benefited 40 people drawn from Thika town, Gatuanyaga, Biashara and other locations.
"The donations include salon/babershop equipment, sewing machines, carpentry tools, wheelchairs and others. We do not offer cash donations because our main goal is empowerment," said Muli.
Stella Wambui, a beneficiary from Majengo Estate was optimistic that the donations were going to improve their livelihoods.
"I am a salonist and this is all I needed to start a salon business. I encourage other people with disabilities to apply for assistance from NFDK and live independent lives," she said.
NFDK application forms can be found in chief’s offices or at the Department of Social Services in sub-county offices.