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{
    "id": 417380,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/417380/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 477,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kaluma",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1565,
        "legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
        "slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we have cultures across this country which are really repugnant to the idea of marriage as the creator of the family and as a cornerstone of indeed the society. In some cultures in this country in this day and age we still have something called child betrothal. This is bonding a child before he or she is capable of forming intent or being mentally capable of deciding that they can go into that institution. You are bonding such a person or individual to in future marry somebody he or she has freely not consented to. I am happy with the Bill because it is saying that if you purport to celebrate something you call a marriage with that child really it is not just something prohibited but it is a criminal offence. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, a short while ago there was a television programme called Beads of Bondage and really let us agree that month by month you put a bead on the neck of a girl and as she grows and after some age before she even reaches 16 years of age, you start introducing her into those things which would amount really to defilement. Then through that process you make that child your wife. This Bill is saying such is prohibited and really, to me it gives a good opportunity for the children of this country in societies which practise such repugnant cultures to be the people we want them to be. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, but even important I like what is proposed in what currently is Clause 88 of this Bill and this is pretended marriages within the prohibited range of relationship. About three years ago, I saw a mother mourn and I think she was from the former Kikuyu Constituency across here - I do not know whether the constituency still exists. The lady was saying: “My daughter has taken over my husband.” The lady was so helpless. For once we have a Bill saying you cannot purport to marry your father. A father cannot purport to marry their child and it is not just prohibited but it is telling a father who purports to go into that relationship or a daughter who purports to disenfranchise their parents of their marriages that they are committing a criminal offence and you can be properly punished for it. So, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I wanted to say that really this is the way to go. I see the light warning me but there is something I wanted to mention."
}