Speech By The Vice Chancellor Prof. Isaac O. Kibwage During The Division Of Special Education And Services (Dises) International Conference

VENUE: NAIVASHA, KENYA

DATE: TUESDAY, 1^ST JULY, 2025

• The Principal Secretary, State Department for Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Dr Beatrice Inyangala;
• The Principal Secretary, State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak;
• Distinguished members of the planning committee—faculty from Egerton University, Kenya Institute of Special Education, Division for International Special Education and Services (DISES), and the Council for Exceptional Children;
• Esteemed delegates, colleagues, and guests,

It is my privilege to welcome you all to the launch of the DISES Conference at Egerton University. Egerton University is greatly honored to participate in this important academic and professional conference, and we are especially thankful to our partners—DISES, KISE, and the Council for Exceptional Children—for their dedication in planning this event.

This year’s conference, under the theme “Harambee: Building Bridges to Support Inclusive Education Around the World,” carries particular weight. It reminds us that addressing the complex challenges in special education—especially for our youth with disabilities—demands collaboration across institutions, governments, families, and communities. We applaud our government’s commitment to access and equity, demonstrated over the years in supporting learners with special needs.

Allow me to highlight some of the key conversations we will host:

• Fostering Inclusion: Evidence-Based Strategies to Support Foster Youth with Disabilities in Schools and Communities—a vital discourse, considering that inclusive practice must be grounded in robust research and must respond to the lived realities of our young people.
• Teaching Reading Comprehension with Intention: The Importance of Multi‑Component Strategies in Supporting Inclusive Practice—reminding us that literacy instruction for all learners hinges on intentionality, planning, and skillful differentiation.

Our commitment to inclusion is more than rhetoric. We have established a Disability Mainstreaming department under the Division of Administration, Finance and Planning. This office actively implements our Disability Mainstreaming Policy—aligned with the Persons with Disabilities Act (2003), the Constitution, and international protocols. Through this structure, we aim to:

• Honour our 5% affirmative‑action quota for employees with disabilities;
• Reserve tenders and promote inclusive hiring;
• Provide an inclusive budget to procure assistive devices such as computers loaded with JAWS software, braille embossers, large‑font printing, and transport services for PWD students .

We have introduced free campus transport for PWD staff and learners, run accessibility audits, and continue planning to employ sign‑language interpreters and ensure barrier‑free campuses.

But our work is ongoing. We are expanding our inclusive supports to meet the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and we eagerly look to collaborate with the Ministry of Education, our Principal Secretaries, and all stakeholders.

This is more than a conference—it is a watershed moment. It is where evidence meets action, where collaboration builds durable frameworks of inclusion. As you engage in discussions, panels, and workshops, may this gathering spark renewed injustice to barriers and accelerate pathways for our children with disabilities.

Once again, a warm thank you to all who made this event possible. Honourable Dr Inyangala and Prof. Abdulrazak, we deeply value your presence. Together, let us continue the spirit of harambee—drawing resources, ideas, and hearts together to ensure that no learner is left behind.

Thank you.