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{
    "id": 718256,
    "url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/718256/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 200,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Chepkwony",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 640,
        "legal_name": "Hellen Chelangat Chepkwony",
        "slug": "hellen-chelangat-chepkwony"
    },
    "content": "We have seen many sexual offences being done to young girls even as young as two months, but we have not seen any action being taken by the police, our assistant chiefs and chiefs. This Bill is going to help us so that we reduce the defilement cases in this country. We have the issue of the police colluding with clinical officers and laboratory people who cannot even give a proper direction when they are doing clinical research. You find that the officers are compromised to change the results of the offender. With this Bill and if it is implemented, it will save our girls. We know the challenges and victimisation our girls have faced is much. This Bill is going to help us. Since we left our culture, these offences have become too much. Christianity and Islam have come, but this does not even help reduce these cases of defilement. If possible, we want civic education to be done. Let us have our cultural mothers and fathers to see that good culture is brought back which can change the society. In our tribe long time ago, you could not find a young man less than 30 years taking alcohol, but you find in the present generation a child of 10 years doing so. So, all these cultures which have been ignored have caused all these problems of defilement in this country. If possible in schools, we should come up with a subject on culture so that children get to know how they should behave. These days, we have people teaching girls about their culture. If we introduce cultural education in our schools and areas, I think it is going to help reduce these defilement cases. As the Member proposed, anybody who is compromised should be fined Kshs500,000. It is very important if men who defile children are jailed for life. I think it is going to reduce those cases. Another problem is the issue of condoms. You find that these people use condoms in such a way that when the test is taken, there is no proof that the child was defiled but in the real sense, the child was defiled. The Member should improve that Bill on how to deal with people raping these children using condoms. We find that in our schools, some teachers rape these children using condoms. So, what steps should we take? The Member, Hon. Florence, should amend that section so that we get these culprits who are using condoms to rape children. We find that our chiefs like talking to the parents of the defiled children. Again, we want this Bill to be amended in such a way that these civil servants who try to convince parents to settle the matter locally should be dealt with thoroughly. We also encourage mothers not to be compromised. We know poverty makes them agree to be compromised. We have to find a way of educating villagers that in case an offence has been committed, everybody should take steps because they do not know if it will be their child who will be defiled tomorrow. Everybody should be responsible so that we stop these defilement cases which have become so rampant, especially in slum areas among school-going children. Those who go long distances, especially through forests and bushes are affected most. When defilement happens, the victims become afraid. They will not tell their parents what happened. You will only see the child limping and by that time, there will be no proof because the child will have taken a bath. So, we need to pay attention to our children. We need to help them develop trust in us. In most cases, culprits go scot-free for lack of proof. This is a serious thing, especially to us mothers. We get embarrassed when such things happen to our children. When somebody who has defiled a child is just walking in the streets and laughing, you wonder where we are headed. Parents are compromised because of poverty. We are losing the dignity of our girls through defilement. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}