Kenya: A Start-up Facilitates Mobility for People with Disabilities
An innovative initiative for people with reduced mobility
In Kenya, startup Ace Mobility has launched a dedicated transportation service for people with disabilities, providing a reliable and accessible solution for their travel. The initiative aims to address the gaps in the public transportation system that does not take into account the specific needs of wheelchair users or people with reduced mobility.
Caroline Mwikali, a wheelchair user, shared her experience with Kenyan public transport. According to her, these modes of transport are not adapted for people with disabilities, making it difficult and even humiliating to access these services. “None of us want to be publicly lifted up like this,” she lamented.
Ace Mobility: A solution to overcome obstacles
It was in the face of these difficulties that Mr. Gatura, a 27-year-old entrepreneur, founded Ace Mobility. The start-up offers a transport service specially designed for people with disabilities, allowing them to move around independently and in dignified conditions. Currently, Ace Mobility has a fleet of 15 vehicles adapted to the specific needs of its users.
This initiative is particularly crucial in a country where, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 2.2% of the population, or around 900,000 people, live with a disability, 42% of whom have mobility limitations.
A legal framework not applied
Although Kenya has laws promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities, particularly in public transport, these regulations often go unimplemented. Sandra Nyawira, Disability Inclusion Advisor at United Disabled Persons of Kenya, stressed the importance of intentionality in implementing these policies. She called for greater consideration of the needs of persons with disabilities to ensure their inclusion in society.
Conclusion
Ace Mobility represents a step forward in improving mobility for persons with disabilities in Kenya. However, for these initiatives to have a lasting impact, strict enforcement of existing laws and political will to fully include persons with disabilities in society are needed.
