Empowering Lives: Transforming Disability into Opportunity

About Us

The Association of People Living with Disabilities – Kitui County is a registered not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities. With a membership of over 102 support groups, each comprising over 50 members from various wards within Mwingi North subcounty, our Association aims to empower and create awareness for people living with disabilities, enabling them to lead dignified lives.

Our primary objectives include implementing income-generating projects; providing care for needy children and individuals with special needs; facilitating the registration of people with disabilities with the National Council for People with Disability; offering guidance and counseling services to those facing stigma due to disability; and fostering networking opportunities with the National Council for Persons with Disability, county governments, and other relevant stakeholders.

We acknowledge the challenges faced by people with disabilities, including low capital resources, limited vocational skills and high rates of unemployment, leading to a high dependency ratio. To address these issues, we actively engage our members in identifying and implementing projects that enhance their livelihoods and promote their overall well-being. We firmly believe that disability does not equate to inability and our efforts are focused on showcasing the unique abilities of individuals with disabilities.

Providing Support and Solutions for a Barrier-Free Future

Challenges Faced by PWDs in Mwingi North

Unemployment

Lack of employment opportunities for PWDs.

Education

Lack of access to education due to poverty and medical expenses.

Dependency

Dependency on others due to the severity of disabilities.

Poverty

PWDs often live in poverty, which entangles their families in a vicious cycle of poverty.

Stigma

PWDs and their families face societal stigma due to cultural beliefs.

Nutrition

Malnutrition and brittle bones are common due to poverty and inadequate balanced diet.

Mobility

Physical disabilities require walking aids like wheelchairs, crutches and walking frames.

Healthcare Access

Limited access to physiotherapy and medication for managing conditions like physical impairments and cerebral palsy amongst others.

Sunshine Exposure

Persons with albinism require protective measures such as sunscreen, hats and sunglasses to manage this issue effectively.
The Association Team

The Leadership

Rev. Fr. Daniel Mutia Mulyungi

Rev. Fr. Daniel Mutia Mulyungi

Chaplain, PWD Catholic Diocese of Kitui, and Parish Priest St. Mary's Miambani Parish

Fr. Daniel Mutia Mulyungi is a Catholic priest with 13 years of experience. He has held various appointments in the Catholic Diocese of Kitui, including Assistant Parish Priest at Miambani Parish and Kitui Cathedral Parish. For the past seven years, he has served as the Parish Priest at Miambani Parish. Additionally, he served as the Chaplain of St. Michael School for the Deaf for five years and currently serves as the Chaplain for the School for the Deaf and for persons with disabilities in the entire Kitui Diocese.

Fr. Daniel’s educational background includes studies in basic education for Catholic priests, with degrees in Philosophy and Theology. He also studied Kenya Sign Language and graduated from KISE with a certificate.

With his experience working with persons with disabilities, Fr. Daniel fully supports the organization PLWD, which focuses on serving PWDs in Kitui and Mwingi. He is proud to be part of an organization that empowers PWDs. As a Catholic priest, he pledges to create awareness within the Catholic Church structures, in line with the Church’s call for the preferential option for the poor.

Fr. Daniel attests to the credibility of the organization’s leadership, which is committed to offering transformative, transparent, and accountable leadership. Above all, Christian values will always guide the organization’s endeavors.

Marrietar Makaa Munyoki

Marrietar Makaa Munyoki

Founder

Marrietar is the Founder and Director of the Association of People Living with Disabilities in Kitui County. She also founded the Kimu Walemavu Self-Help Group and the Kimu Disabled Self-Help Group in Kyuso Ward, Mwingi North Constituency. Additionally, she serves as the Vice Chairperson of the United Disabled Persons and Associates in Kitui County, and as the Director of the Disability Discovery Association of Kenya (DDAK).

Marrietar is also the Chairperson of the Abled Differently Self-Help Group in Athiriver Subcounty, Mavoko Constituency, Machakos County. She represented PWDs in the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) in Machakos County from 2017 to 2023.

As a skilled counselor with a BA in Counseling Psychology, Marrietar is self-driven and has basic skills in Kenya Sign Language from KISE. She is a registered member of the Kenya Counseling and Psychological Association and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities.

Her duty and mission include mainstreaming disability matters for total inclusion in society and eradicating stigma to enable PWDs to live a more dignified life.

Bishop Meshack Momba

Bishop Meshack Momba

Senior pastor - Kyuso FGCK | County Bishop - FGCK Mwingi North | Deputy Regional Overseer - FGCK Eastern Region | Chairman - Kyuso Development Forum

There is a dire need to support PLWD, especially in Kitui County and more so in Mwingi. This is a section of our society that has been neglected for quite some time. Their challenges and suffering have been either ignored or given very little attention. Many are living in deplorable conditions, lacking basic needs like mobility, shelter, education, access to clean water, economic empowerment, and counseling, just to mention a few.

This organization has transparent, accountable, and well-structured leadership. Any support will help to better their lives and bring a smile to PLWD.

Kelvin Mutuma

Kelvin Mutuma served as a volunteer with CorpsAfrica in his community of Kyuso in Kitui County for one year. Through this experience, he gained insight into the lives of People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) in rural communities, witnessing firsthand the challenges they face. To address these challenges, Kelvin facilitated training sessions on disability and inclusion, soap making, charcoal briquettes making for income generation, creating kitchen gardens for a balanced household diet, and training on table banking and merry-go-round.

Collaborating with other stakeholders, Kelvin implemented a project on Health and Social-Economic Empowerment for People Living with Disability in Kitui County, providing wheelchairs for mobility and goats to households of PLWDs. His volunteer service profile can be viewed at https://www.corpsafrica.org/people/mutuma-kelvin/.

Kelvin has also worked with Light for the World on Monitoring and Evaluation for supported enterprises owned by Persons Living with Disability in Meru County, and with Savannas Forever Tanzania (SFTZ) on impact evaluation of Zoe Empowers poverty graduation program on youth-led families in Tharaka Nithi and Meru County.

With a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Management from Kenyatta University and a Bachelor of Project Planning and Management from Karatina University, Kelvin is well-equipped to drive positive change. He has also completed training in Asset-Based Community-Led Development and Human-Centered Design through CorpsAfrica, and in Planning for Monitoring and Evaluation from Philanthropy University (Hass School of Business).

Kelvin’s aspiration is to become the change he wants to see in the world and inspire others to make a lasting difference.