The number of young people living in Africa is expected to be at its peak over the next few decades. This
may either climax into a dramatic social transformation or explode into a disaster; depending on how well
(or badly) the society prepares itself and its young people. This paper focuses on the situation of young
people with disabilities and examines the transitional opportunities available to them in Kenyan society,
considering three principal areas: education, employment and social participation. The paper utilises the
findings of a systematic analysis of relevant government reports and documents. Some of the issues raised
are contextualised using data collected from one secondary school for the blind in Nairobi. Our analysis
indicates that, although their numbers are significant, young people with disabilities face difficult
obstacles in progressing to higher levels of education. They are faced with limited employment
opportunities and are at a greater risk of being exploited in the social sphere. Some policy options to tackle
this situation are indicated.
This Report forms part of the Research Consortium on Educational Outcomes and Poverty (RECOUP),
funded by DFID, 2005-10. Views expressed here are those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by
DFID or any of the partner institutions. For details of the objectives, composition and work of the
consortium see: www.educ.cam.ac.uk/RECOUP