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{
    "id": 1234140,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1234140/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 252,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "West Mugirango, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Stephen Mogaka",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " I want to thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to also support this Motion that touches on a very heinous crime that has not been given the weight it deserves. I want to thank the Departmental Committee on Labour for going boldly to inquire into this menace that is happening in our plantations. I also happen to have a few of those plantations neighbouring Kericho. They are in Sotik and areas like Kipkebe and Sasini that border my constituency. The findings on this menace in Kericho is a case study of what must be happening everywhere in the plantations and even in the workplace. As a practising lawyer, I had occasions to represent clients who had made allegations of sexual harassment within the banking, sports and religious sectors. Therefore, the problem of sexual harassment is not limited to just the plantation sector but one that is widespread in the workplace. At this juncture, I want to celebrate an artist from my constituency, Nyamira County, who composed a special piece about sexual harassment and women in the workplace. This is the Bana Sungusia that sang about ‘Boss’. This was a boss who was harassing and cowing lady workers to sexual favours in hotels in exchange for promotions and salary increments. While we do this, this House must rise to the occasion and impose very heavy penalties on these sex pests who are marauding in work places, and abusing their positions in offices to unleash their bad manners on otherwise very respectable employees. While I am at this, I must admit that Kenya and indeed Africa is a paternalistic country and continent respectively. Therefore, claims of sexual harassment or talks of sex hurt women more than men. That is why the men who are accused of doing those things are celebrated and taken as heroes when they are actually criminals, but the consequences are different for our mothers, sisters and daughters. Therefore, in dealing with this menace, this House must come up with serious legislation that makes this offence as harsh as it can be so that those who are still harbouring any idea that women are not the angels that God gave us, pay heavily for such consequences. Further, as I support, I want to beg leaders to also take caution because we are targeted through those sexual episodes or pictures that are going to be taken of us. This is because people out there are out to bring down serious leaders in this country. To those spreading videos targeting a semblance of a leader in this country, who comes from a place where such a position has never been held by a lady, shame on you! I want to encourage all women to stand up and ignore that rubbish and discharge their responsibilities to the country as if nothing happened. I submit and support."
}