Kenyan Senator Crystal Asige has called on African countries, especially Nigeria, to establish special legislative seats for people with disabilities (PWDs) to promote greater inclusion in governance.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday ahead of the annual colloquium of the Haske Satumari Foundation, scheduled for Saturday in Abuja, Asige urged Nigerian lawmakers to follow Kenya’s example by ensuring legislative representation for marginalised groups.

Asige, who represents special needs groups in Kenya’s Senate, stressed that no society can progress without adequate representation of all its people.

“In my research, I see that Africa has a lot of work to do in terms of bringing more diversity, especially in leadership and the political space,” she said.

She explained that Kenya’s Constitution mandates affirmative action seats in both the National Assembly and the Senate, requiring at least one male and one female senator to represent PWDs.

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“This model should be replicated across Africa, particularly in Nigeria, which has a population of over 230 million people, including at least 50 million with disabilities based on World Health Organisation estimates,” she said.

Asige, a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), lamented that Africa is losing about 10 per cent of its annual GDP due to the exclusion of PWDs and other marginalised groups from governance and key sectors like transport, health, education, and employment.

“We are losing a lot of money as Africa because of being exclusive, because of only thinking of a few rather than the majority. Statistics show that we are losing up to 10 per cent of our annual GDP in the global south because of a lack of inclusion,” she said.

Asige also backed Nigerian Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in her sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, calling for a thorough and impartial investigation.

“I have followed your news keenly, and I see the challenges Senator Natasha is facing. It is unfortunate but not surprising. Women in politics across Africa continue to face harassment, threats, and intimidation simply for daring to take up space,” she said.

Recalling a personal incident of being assaulted by a cab driver due to her visual impairment, Asige highlighted that women with disabilities often face compounded discrimination and harassment.

Founder of the Haske Satumari Foundation, Kudla Satumari, also called for disruptive leadership in Africa, emphasising the need for accountable, inclusive, and equitable governance to drive transformation.