Safaricom to drive greater inclusion in the workplace by hiring more people with disabilities

NAIROBI, KENYA: Safaricom has announced that it will increase the number of staff living with disabilities to five per cent by March 2021, up from the current 1.7 per cent, as part of its strategic business objectives.

The mobile service provider announced its commitment during the inaugural Global Disability Summit held in London, United Kingdom, where it joined civil society representatives, governments and other corporate organisations in calls for greater inclusivity of people living with disabilities within the private and public sectors.

Safaricom has so far employed 96 members of staff with various disabilities including visual and hearing impairments, paraplegics, and people living with albinism and dwarfism.

“Our intentional focus on Diversity and Inclusion has seen us actively reach out to minorities such as people with disabilities in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities,” said Bob Collymore, CEO – Safaricom.

According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 15 per cent of the world’s population is comprised of people with various disabilities, while Global Disability Rights Now estimates that people with disabilities account for 10 per cent of Kenya’s population, which translates to about 4.44 million people.

People with disabilities across the world have poorer health outcomes, lower education achievements, less economic participation and higher rates of poverty compared to those without disabilities. This is attributed to barriers in accessing services, including health, education, employment, and transport as well as information.