Kenya Society for the Intellectually Handicapped (KSMH) started out as a support group of African parents who had children with intellectual disabilities in the early 60s.

These children with intellectual disabilities had no place to go for support.  The parents had no support from the government of the time either.  Therefore they formed themselves into a group where they could support each other.  Over a period of time, the size of the group increased and in 1969, it was registered as a children’s support group.  It was then formally registered as Kenya Society for the Intellectually Handicapped.  Since its inception on 22nd June 1971, KSMH has worked for persons with intellectual disabilities and their families in advocating for provision of better services, lifting the living conditions and standards of care and giving back dignity to persons with intellectual disabilities.

The country wide membership of KSMH consists individual membership of annual and life members and institutional memberships. Individual memberships are composed of adults with intellectual disabilities and families with children with intellectual disability. Institutional memberships consist of homes, special units and schools for persons with intellectual disabilities. Professionals in the area of intellectual disabilities also work closely with the organization from the national level to the grassroots.

The membership forms a network of community based parents support groups situated in each and every district of the country and over the years, KSMH advocacy and action in various fields has shaped the Society into a leading national organization through which people with intellectual disabilities and their family’s express concerns for their special needs and interests. KSMH has become the voice of people with intellectual disabilities in Kenya.

One of the major achievements of KSMH is the community-based parents support groups that have in their localities, influenced the introduction of 1,200 special schools and units for persons with intellectual disabilities in the country.

 However, the impact has benefited less than 1% of the population of persons with intellectual disabilities in the country. The results are limited due to the following:

• Lack of early identification and assessment services for children with intellectual disabilities.

• Lack of early identification and assessment services for children with intellectual disabilities.

• Inaccessible basic & specialized services especially those needed by mothers and families of persons with intellectual disabilities.

• The presence of insensitive & discriminative legal and institutional policy frameworks

• High poverty levels that has increased the incidence of intellectual disabilities in the country and affected its management.

• Deeply entrenched social, cultural and religious stigma associated with intellectual disability.