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{
    "id": 485418,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/485418/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 427,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Mbarire",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 78,
        "legal_name": "Cecily Mutitu Mbarire",
        "slug": "cecily-mbarire"
    },
    "content": "who hits you physically. You can be with a spouse who totally harasses you emotionally. He could be one who hurls insults at you every day, makes you cry all night long, and makes you go to work feeling very unhappy. For me, that is emotional turmoil. It is emotional violence. It is only the victim who can express that feeling to the people she reports to. It cannot come from somebody else wanting to understand how you feel. It is only you who knows how you feel. So, I hope that on some of the proposals mentioned by hon. Millie Odhiambo earlier; of seeking to water down this Bill by doing away with some of these provisions purportedly because we do not know what “emotional violence” or “psychological violence” is because we do not know how to measure them, I hope the Committee will re-think of introducing such amendments. We want a Bill which recognises all these challenges. Hon. Speaker, this particular Bill helps us to complete the entire spectrum of the family laws that we have been wanting to push through this House. We have already pushed through the Marriage Bill and the Matrimonial Property Bill. We have the Protection Against Domestic Violence Bill, 2013, which completes the spectrum of family laws. I am sure we shall protect the family which is recognized by the Constitution in Article 45 (1), as the fundamental unit of society and the necessary basis for social order. The sub-Article goes further to say that the State must do everything it can to protect the family and to ensure that the family stays in peace. Hon. Speaker, we want a Bill that will recognize domestic violence and all its forms without watering it down and appreciate that this is unlawful behavior. We also want a Bill that will look into the provisions or interventions that will ensure that we are able to protect victims of domestic violence. We should be able to offer them the necessary support in order to overcome that violence. But we also want a Bill that deters would-be domestic violence agents; people who propagate it so that we do not have any form of domestic violence happening in the families. We want our children to grow up in peaceful families . Hon. Speaker, over the past few years, we have seen increased cases of domestic violence that actually affects men. The challenge that men have is that they cannot talk about it. This is because the society expects men to be very strong and not to go through any form of violence at home. A man who is battered or abused by his wife is seen to be a weak person. This Bill seeks to give that man a voice and to protect him. We want to protect the boy-child who nowadays is going through a lot of physical and emotional abuse. This is not a Bill that just looks at the women and the girl-child; but a Bill for men and women, girls and boys. It is for all of us. Hon. Speaker, from what I have heard this whole afternoon, from various hon. Members who have spoken before me, I am happy because there seems to be real need for this Bill. There is support across the board. I am very appreciative of the fact that we have finally seen the rationale and objective of this Bill. We are dealing with these matters that were seen to be sensitive, anti-cultural and were thrown out through the window even before we had time to debate them. I am very encouraged by what I am hearing from all hon. Members; especially our male colleagues. I am happy that we The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}