Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1276569,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1276569/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 180,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Wundanyi, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Danson Mwashako",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I join my colleagues in supporting the Motion brought to the House by Hon. Brighton Yegon to develop and implement a childcare programme for children whose parents are in lawful custody. This Motion is timely. As a country, we have laws that protect the rights of children, women, and other people who are in lawful custody. Therefore, this House stands a chance to improve the legislative infrastructure of this country. Many prisons in this country allow children under four years old to join their mothers when they are in lawful custody. Therefore, they provide some minimum basic early childhood development programmes that may not compare to what we have outside the prisons. We know that the Kenya Prisons Service is doing something about it. This Motion speaks to children above four years old, who cannot join their mothers while they are in custody. We must support the development and implementation of this programme so that our women in prisons know that even if they are serving their lawful terms, the children that they leave behind can access basic education and are protected. We know that children whose mothers are in custody face discrimination. They are traumatised because they are mocked by their fellow pupils in school. They are told that their parents are not there because they are in prisons. Therefore, if they are not taken care of psychologically, they are greatly affected. Parliament has a responsibility to come up with laws that will protect those children, so that they can grow up to be responsible citizens who are not traumatised. They should get education without depending on relatives whom, on many occasions, do not take care of them well. In my constituency, there is a prison that is home to many women, some of whom have children who are below four years old. The children are in a school that was started by the county government some years back. However, there are many other children who are at home, and are suffering, vulnerable and facing serious risks. Such children do not get supportive structure and family that would support them. Therefore, when the mother is taken into custody, the child also follows her. Luckily, we have one officer from the prison, Senior Superintendent Justina, who recently won the African award for always trying to ensure that such children do not fall into the hands of predators and suffer when the mother is in lawful custody."
}