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{
    "id": 1279077,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1279077/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 134,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I also want to join the Senior Counsel, Hon. Otiende, and I was hoping Hon. Masara would have been here to prevail on him, either to withdraw this Bill or seek your indulgence to amend it to be able to align it to the provisions of the Constitution, and probably, seek to amend Section 66 of the Marriage Act. As Hon. Kagiri has said, it is probable and possible that tomorrow, vulnerable young ladies in our country will be taken advantage of by foreigners. It is not a new phenomenon around the world. We have seen people, especially of African descent in the United States of America (USA) and other Western countries, going to marry women who are much older than them so that they can gain citizenship in those countries. We have also seen it here around the city, especially West Africans, taking advantage of young college girls. This will become a norm if such a Bill was to pass, because all you need is to marry a Kenyan girl at 18 years of age and you do not even need to live with her. After a year, you just officiate a wedding and thereafter, claim a separation, and by consent, dissolve that marriage. By consent alone is completely ultra vires to the provisions of Article 45 of the Constitution; and I would beg if the Hon. Masara does not exercise his known wisdom to withdraw this Bill, I would beg that you do the necessary, and do justice to the House. We have daughters and I believe you do too, and young ones for that matter. And as a father of young girls, I would never wish for such a Bill to have been passed in this Parliament, at a time I served in this House. Kindly, protect our daughters and sons. Thank you."
}