Katakwi PWD Get Wheelchairs as Parents Urged to Consider Equity and Equality Dominate

By Emmanuel Olinga

In a bid to address the challenges of movement for people with disabilities in the Katakwi district, the office of the vice president has distributed 25 wheelchairs to 25 disabled persons (PWDs) across the 20 sub-counties of Katakwi as a way of addressing the challenge of walking.

While receiving the wheelchairs at district headquarters on 2nd June 2025, presided over by Deputy Resident District Commissioner Katakwi, a section of beneficiaries, parents, and caretakers of wheelchairs were overwhelmed with joy as the burden of transport had been taken care of.

Florence Amulen, a resident of Ameritele, Guyaguya Parish, Guyaguya sub-county, and a parent to Phoebe Ilakat, a beneficiary of a wheelchair, expressed her gratitude that her child will now resume education, as reaching school has been a problem.

Moses Omoji , a resident of Aketa parish, Ongogonja subcounty, and parent to John Otim, says a bigger challenge faced by disabled people is lack of wheelchairs, but the support given to disabled children can also help them access educational institutions on a daily basis.

Irene Alungat, the district councilor representing the female youth, urged the government to continue supporting the special interest group in order to have equity and equality for all.

Raymond Richard Odeke, the personal assistant who represented Her Excellency Maj. Rtd. Jessica Rose Alupo Epel says the donation is in consideration of special interest groups, as it’s one way of sharing the challenge, as she is a way of such complications.

Odeke says the program of supporting the disabled by giving them walking tools will continue, noting that initially the vice president gave out 53 wheelchairs to some disabled persons to ease mobility to access social services such as schools, hospitals, and other community services within the community.

Vincent Savior Okwi, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner of Katakwi, appealed to the caregivers of beneficiaries to take advantage of the wheelchairs for accessing social services such as education and health facilities for the disabled person.

Okwi urged the parents and caregivers of persons with disabilities to consider giving balanced care to all children, providing basic needs, and also to embrace government programs meant to benefit PWDs at all levels.