PWD Lawmakers Achan Joyce Okeny, Ssewagudde Join Hand to Champion Disability Inclusion During Kyankwanzi Retreat

PWD Lawmakers Achan Joyce Okeny, Ssewagudde Join Hand to Champion Disability Inclusion During Kyankwanzi Retreat.

By Okidi Patrick

KYANKWANZI — As the National Resistance Movement (NRM) leadership retreat enters its final stages, Members of Parliament for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) have called for a radical shift in how the government addresses the needs of the vulnerable.
Hon. Robert Ssewagudde newly elected to the 12th Parliament and Hon.Acan Joyce Okeny, a returnee to Parliament, who has again been entrusted by the PWDs, said they focus on the increament of the National Special Grant and urge the many pledges to PWDs to be fullfilled.

The due used the oppurtunity to advocate for a more inclusive national development agenda concerning the PWDs.

Their meeting focused on the persistent barriers facing the PWD community, including limited access to specialized healthcare, unequal employment opportunities, and unfriendly physical infrastructure.
“Our mission is clear: we must move beyond charity and focus on the rights and dignity of PWDs,” Hon. Ssewagudde stated. He emphasized that the collaboration with Hon.Acan Joyce Okeny is designed to ensure the PWD caucus in the next Parliament speaks with a unified, louder voice on the floor of the House for the common good of PWDs.

The NRM Kyankwanzi retreat, which runs from April 7 to 15, is centered on aligning legislators with the party’s ideology and the goal of empowering Uganda to protect the gains to a high middle-income status.
Hon. Mama Achan Joyce Okeny, who emerged as a top candidate in the recent polls and also a returnee to the 12th parliament, pledged to push for laws that prioritize disability-inclusive budgeting. She noted that for programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) to succeed, they must be intentionally accessible to those with physical and sensory impairments.

The lawmakers pledged to work closely with the executive and security agencies to protect PWDs from abuse and ensure they are not left behind in the country’s socio-economic transformation.