NAIROBI, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Muzamili Hussein eases away from his wheelchair to settle on a wooden chair at his workstation.

The shift comes naturally. He then proceeds to lay out his wares which include an assortment of candies for passers-by to buy.

Hussein has operated his business from a bustling street in the downtown section of the Kenyan capital Nairobi for nearly a decade.

His trade has accorded him financial independence while liberating him from the shackles of poverty.

However, at the present moment, his source of income is under threat thanks to the global health crisis.

"I close at 4 p.m. local time even though the curfew starts at 8 p.m. to avoid jostling with other passengers while they board matatus (minibus). I have been avoiding the rush hour mayhem for safety concerns and also because touts are more willing to assist me, board, during off-peak hours," Hussein told Xinhua.

"The consequence of fewer working hours is that I cannot meet my financial obligations to my children," he added.

By and large, persons living with disabilities tend to be vulnerable due to their physical or intellectual limitations.

Nonetheless, the global health crisis has accentuated their vulnerabilities further, exposing many to new financial, social, and health challenges.

At least 15 million people around the world live with some form of disability, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

A national census in 2019 put the number of Kenyans living with disability at 2.2 percent of the population (0.9 million people), with women being the most inflicted compared to men.

"We go through unique challenges more so right now, I remember going to a supermarket last week and the automatic sanitizer machine towered over me. I could not sanitize, the guards just looked at me helplessly and let me in," said Hassan.

Besides the hygiene barriers that he continues to encounter, Hassan said stigma is rife among his peers.

"During the onset of the pandemic, the perception was that persons like me contract COVID-19 easily, consequently spreading it. Some clients would simply toss me their money out of fear of coming into contact with me," said Hassan.

"But perhaps the fear is induced by COVID-19 and everyone is just trying to guard their lives, even so, I can't seem to shake the thought that it could be because of my condition," he added.

A UN document on the influence of COVID-19 on the lives of persons with disabilities (PWDs) 2020 said they could be at the risk of developing worse health outcomes if they contract COVID-19 as some have co-existing conditions such as diabetes, lung infection and heart disease.

The document recommended among other issues to ensure non-discriminatory access to healthcare services for PWDs, participation in decision-making, and mental interventions for the disabled population.

Hussein is originally from Uganda, Kenya's neighbor to the West, he lost the use of his legs after attaining the age of four due to severe polio.

Because the father of three is not registered under the social safety net, he has not been receiving financial support from the government and can only hope for better days ahead.

Kenya's national safety program locally known as Inua Jamii disburses money on a monthly or bimonthly basis to persons with severe disability, orphaned children, vulnerable children, and older persons.

Last year, 10 billion shillings (about 93.41 million U.S. dollars) were allocated to boost the program when President Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled a raft of economic measures to offer reprieve to vulnerable families.

Miriam Sichoya's imposing smile is hard to ignore, she is a mother to two children and also a member of a local support group for parents with challenged children. One of her children is blind.

"The first thing I thought when the pandemic broke out was that I needed to shield my daughter from the outside.

"She loves the outdoors very much thus the news was not received with enthusiasm," Sichoya said.

She said that her daughter needs to be kept in a safe bubble as she relies on touching objects to navigate. Exposure to contaminated environments could put her in a compromising situation.

The beautician's support group went mum towards the end of December 2020, depriving her of the much-needed psychosocial support.

"Everyone is sort of dealing with the pandemic on their own. It is hard not to have a support system at this time but we are looking at reviving it," said Sichoya.

Elsewhere, persons with disabilities are not ranked as high risk and therefore not eligible for the first phase of COVID-19 inoculation in Kenya, yet people above 58 years, healthcare workers, teachers and security personnel have been receiving the jab. Enditem

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