Government urged to improve access to healthcare for PWDs

Accessible Travel Kenya team led by their founder Muthuri Kinyamu. [Mate Tongola, Standard]

As the two-day National Health Summit 2026 concluded at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, stakeholders in the transport sector called on the government to broaden its healthcare reforms to address the mobility needs of persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Muthuri Kinyamu, founder of Accessible Travel Kenya, said many people living with disabilities continue to face limited access to affordable and accessible transport, further marginalising them and restricting their independence.

Kinyamu said discussions at the summit largely focused on healthcare delivery but failed to adequately address non-emergency medical transportation, which he described as a critical component of an inclusive healthcare system.

“I have attended the summit and lots of the discussions were around healthcare. However, non-emergency medical transportation has not been factored into any of the talks,” Kinyamu said on the sidelines of the summit.

He said Kenya has a limited number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles capable of giving persons with disabilities greater independence in their daily activities.

Kinyamu, who operates a fleet of locally converted wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs), said the service helps bridge the gap between emergency ambulance services and the everyday transport needs of PWDs.

“We take those with disabilities to hospitals and other places to run their errands, hence managing to cover at least the gap left by the 922 emergency hotline for ambulances and inter-facility transfers,” he said.

The vehicles operated by Accessible Travel Kenya are fitted with wheelchair ramps, dual wheelchair docking systems and swivel-seat conversions to make it easier for passengers to transfer in and out of the vehicles.

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Kinyamu urged the government to grant operators of specialised transport services a full exemption from import duty, excise duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) when importing vehicles designed for persons with disabilities.

Currently, tax exemptions are largely available to PWDs importing vehicles for personal use, subject to approval by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).

He said extending the incentives to specialised transport providers would encourage investment in accessible vehicles and improve mobility for families with members living with disabilities.

According to census data cited by the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, Kenya has approximately 4.4 million persons with disabilities, including people with mobility and visual impairments.

Kinyamu said addressing transportation barriers should therefore form part of the government's broader efforts to make healthcare services more accessible and inclusive.