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{
    "id": 101474,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/101474/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 290,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ms. Mbarire",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Tourism",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 78,
        "legal_name": "Cecily Mutitu Mbarire",
        "slug": "cecily-mbarire"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Bill. I wish to begin, at the outset, by congratulating the Mover, Ms. Odhiambo, because I think this particular Bill could not have come at a better time. We are at a point in the history of our country when we are trying to come up with a new Constitution, which has really looked into the issues of children and women and their rights. We know that trafficking in persons is a big issue in this country, which has not been looked at as critically as we are doing right now. I am also aware that, maybe, we probably never had a chance, as a House, to really discuss this critical issue. Therefore, I want to support and say that it is about time that we had a law that is really aimed at dealing with this issue. Mr. temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to focus mainly on sexual exploitation, especially of young boys and girls, knowing the effects it is having on our tourism sector. Sometime last year, we went to London for a big World Tourism Fair, and we had a big challenge of having to explain the issue of child sexual exploitation in the Coast Province of Kenya. We know that we are very clear, as a Ministry, and that we are even a signatory to the UN Convention Against Child Sexual Exploitation, especially in the area of tourism and that the UNWTO--- It was very clear to us that we had a serious problem. In major hotels today, if you go to any reception, you will find that they have put up a very big notice that anybody who comes with a child shall not be admitted to the hotel, especially if it is a young girl or boy. But that exploitation is still happening in many lodges within the Coastal part of this country and even in other major towns. This becomes a major challenge for us because tourists are changing their habits. It is not just about luxury. They want to practice responsible tourism. They want to make sure that when they come to a country, they leave it even better than it was. So there are tourists who want to come and be associated with having played a role in improving the lot of the people they visit. Therefore, I must say that this is a very important Bill and I hope that this Bill will look specifically into tourism and what it does to young children. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to add my voice to those who are saying that these penalties that have been proposed by the mover of this Bill are inadequate. These penalties need to be enhanced because the kind of criminal activities that are meted against young children and women--- We have been reading newspaper reports on what is happening to most of our young unsuspecting girls who are going for “greener pastures” in countries out there, especially, Saudi Arabia. We need to really focus on how to tame such individuals. They need to realize that they are dealing with criminal activities and the penalties are stiff. We should not have our girls going to countries and then they end up living under slavery, being forced into labour without pay and some even being exploited sexually. I hope that the section on penalties will be looked at afresh so that we can impose stiffer penalties on those who commit these crimes. I also want to focus on the issue of forced marriage of young girls. We know that many communities have moved out of forced marriages but we still have some communities that still stick to it in the name of culture and tradition. As we usher in a new Constitution, hopefully, it is very clear that any cultural practices that abuse the rights of individuals will not be tolerated. This section on forced marriage will be looked into and stiffer penalties granted, so that we can protect the young girls, especially in communities that continue to practise forced marriage. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we look forward to have this law not only passed by this Parliament but to also see real action on the part of the Government to implement it once it becomes an Act of Parliament, so that we can continue to empower the girl child and boy child and ensure that they grow up in an environment that is free from any form of abuse. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}