Amputee Advocates Inspire Hope, Call for Prosthetic Access During Eldoret Outreach
“We may have lost limbs, but we have not lost our dreams.”
Diana Nanjala, Miss Amputee Kenya, addresses the media at Jesus Love Children’s Home in Eldoret, Kenya, Saturday, July 26, 2025.
In a gesture of compassion and advocacy, Diana Nanjala, reigning Miss Amputee Kenya, spearheaded a visit by amputee advocates to Jesus Love Children’s Home in Eldoret, transforming a modest outreach into a movement centered on hope and inclusion. The visit brought smiles and shared meals to over 90 children , and underscored the potential of persons with disabilities to live impactful, purpose-driven lives.
Nanjala said the group came “to celebrate love and to remind these children that they matter.” The visit included cooking, dancing, storytelling and heartfelt interaction, reinforcing the message that the experience was about creating memories, not just feeding meals.
A platform for change
The event served as a precursor to the Mr. and Miss Amputee North Rift Region pageant, scheduled for Aug. 9, 2025, at Boma Inn Hotel in Eldoret. The organizers aim to raise KSh 2.5 million to assist amputees across North Rift in acquiring prosthetic limbs.
Prosthetic limbs remain prohibitively expensive in Kenya. According to experts, a basic below‑the‑knee prosthesis can cost KSh 50,000–120,000, while more advanced carbon or electronic models cost as much as KSh 400,000 to over KSh 1 million Nation Africa. Only around 22 percent of amputees in Kenya currently receive prosthetic limbs Nation Africa.
Voices from the community
Peris Daisy Jepkosgei, who lost her leg in the 2007 post‑election violence, spoke of the stigma facing amputees: “People look at us with pity… as if we’re incapable.” She stressed that sponsorship and awareness—not sympathy—are vital for amputees to thrive.
Kelvin Mukhwana called on national and county governments to subsidize prosthetic limbs as necessities—not luxuries—that are essential for dignity, mobility and participation in work and society.
Community advocate Soul Mangiti urged parents not to hide children with disabilities but to support their talents in fields like sports and crafts. He appealed to Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii to back amputees with sports programs, vocational training, and job creation platforms.
Supporting structures and call for action
Bishop Wilson Kurui, founder of Jesus Love Children’s Home, welcomed the group and encouraged others to support the initiative. The home currently cares for more than 90 children—10 in college, 30 in secondary school and 55 in primary school—many rescued from vulnerable backgrounds.
The amputee advocates have already held awareness events, including a cleanup in Eldoret town last week, aimed at challenging public perceptions of disability inclusion and raising visibility ahead of the pageant.
The broader context
Amputation rates in Kenya continue to rise due to road accidents, diabetes and vascular disease JOOTRH+2Nation Africa+2The Standard+2. Despite the frequency of limb loss—estimated at 1.5 million people globally per year and hundreds of thousands in Kenya—prosthetics remain largely excluded from public insurance packages such as NHIF, which classifies fittings as cosmetic surgery JOOTRH+2The Standard+2The Standard+2. The absence of coverage prevents many from regaining mobility and increases social and economic exclusion.
Experts like prosthetist Peter Ongubo have urged the government to include assistive devices in health schemes, stressing that amputees with prostheses are more likely to return to work, maintain social ties and enjoy better physical and mental health Nation Africa.
The Mr. and Miss Amputee North Rift Region pageant on Aug. 9, 2025, promises to be both a celebration of resilience and a vehicle for change. Organizers are calling on individuals, corporations, NGOs and prosthetics manufacturers to provide financial or in-kind support, stressing that every contribution, no matter the size, can help transform lives.
As Nanjala says: “We may have lost limbs, but we have not lost our dreams.”
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