Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 490906,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/490906/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 30,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ongoro",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 125,
        "legal_name": "Elizabeth Ongoro Masha",
        "slug": "elizabeth-ongoro"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT, aware that the number of the teenage and pre-teen parents is increasing by the day; noting with concern that majority in this category are girls from poor households and that this problem compounds the vicious cycle of poverty in Kenya; recognizing the socio-economic challenges facing this special category of parents including lack of income and entrepreneurial capacity, inadequate parenting skills, low educational levels and lack of health care; appreciating that Article 45 (1) of the Constitution of Kenya recognizes the family as a fundamental unit of society that enjoys protection of the State; cognizant of the fact that the Government has a duty to cater for the youth and children of Kenya; the Senate urges the National Government and the county governments to:- (a) put in place mechanisms that will help establish a comprehensive capacity building programme for teenage parents to ensure they practice responsible family life; (b) come up with non-discriminatory back to school or training programmes and initiate necessary legal and policy framework that will identify persons within this group to benefit from the programmes; and (c) guarantee funding and sustainability of the initiative and other child welfare programmes aimed at benefiting teenage parents. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to present this very relevant Motion to this House today. I believe that we have all had occasion to witness or engage with pre-teen and teenage parents. In my own words, I call them babies. You go to a function and see a baby carrying another baby only to be told that the person you were thinking was a baby carrying another baby is actually the mother of that baby. This issue of babies with babies must be stopped. We must put in place policies that protect our babies and children from becoming parents at the ages of 11, 12 or 13. What do you call a 12 year old girl who has already had a baby? Is it not a baby with another baby? Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me share with you experiences that have really disturbed my conscience. I recently called for a youth meeting in Nairobi. According to the Constitution, the youth are those below the age of 35. In that room, a very interesting The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}