Efforts to improve access to public buildings for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Mombasa received a boost after a petition was formally presented before the Senate by the Coast Civil Society Network for Human Rights.
The delegation, led by human rights advocate Zedekiah Adika, engaged Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome during the session, where key commitments were made toward addressing longstanding accessibility challenges across several government facilities in Mombasa.
The CS confirmed that a multisectoral team has been established to conduct a comprehensive audit of public buildings.
The team will assess their current status and determine the budget required to make them accessible.
The report is expected to be submitted to the relevant Senate Committee by April 30, 2026.
During the meeting, the CS also outlined the ownership of the affected buildings. Bima Towers falls under the State Department of Housing, while the Mombasa Law Courts are managed by the Judiciary.
The County Assembly building is under the County Government of Mombasa.
Uhuru na Kazi offices and the DCC offices fall under the Ministry of Interior, the NEMA building is under the Forestry docket, and the Betting Control building is managed by the County Government.
In a notable development, the State Department of Housing has already initiated the procurement of a lift at Bima Towers at a cost of Kshs. 43.7 million to enhance accessibility.
The CS further committed to issuing a formal update within five days on the status of the lift procurement.
Upon submission of the audit report, the Senate Committee is expected to summon all responsible institutions, including relevant ministries, county leadership, and the Judiciary, to provide clear timelines on compliance and necessary upgrades.
Speaking after the session on the matter, Zedekiah Adika, the lead petitioner and Chair of the Coast Civil Society Network for Human Rights, indicated that the accessibility question is long overdue.
He faulted the state for failing to act on time.
“The State has already failed in the inclusion of all PWDs because these offices house critical public services such as ID provision at Bima Towers, the County PWD offices at Betting Control, the gallery of the County Assembly, the Lands department, among others,” said Adika.
Adika further called on those responsible to quickly repair and act on the buildings to help PWDs operate normally.
“We call on the leadership of the county and the Lands department to conclusively resolve the ownership of the Betting Control building to ensure it can be repaired, and for the county to take centre stage in servicing its resources,” he said.