APRM • SECOND COUNTRY REVIEW REPORT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA 3.10.2.7 Challenges 272. These include: • Deeply held cultural beliefs for stigmatization of many vulnerable groups, especially IDPs and refugees; • Tendency to perceive such vulnerable groups as IDPs and refugees as a burden to the host community; • Widespread poverty and growing inequality that impact more disproportionately on vulnerable groups, and especially so on IDPs and refugees; • The very large population of refugees that Kenya had hosted; • Transparency, public awareness, adequacy and sustainability issues linked to cashtransfer programmes for the elderly, orphans, and vulnerable children; and • Poor observance of constitutional provisions guaranteeing participation of marginalised groups such as women in political activities and their representation through affirmative action measures. 3.10.3 Recommendations of the Panel 273. The Panel recommends that: i) All forms of discrimination against vulnerable and marginalised groups should be outlawed and victims should be prioritised within the national legal aid scheme for assistance and compensation as well as the Victims Fund. (Government, civil society organisations) ii) The Persons with Disabilities Act 2003 should be amended expeditiously and all laws not in conformity with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities should be amended to adopt the rights based approach. (Government, civil society organisations) iii) All public institutions should adhere to the Constitutional and affirmative action measures guaranteed for PWDs in the employment, political and social sector (Government) iv) Government, civil society and opinion leaders should continue with initiatives for conflict resolution, peace building and reconciliation in the communities that have been prone to conflict and ethnic tensions. (Government, Civil society) | 130 |