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{
    "id": 543043,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/543043/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 102,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "the Committee that we move the Bill and then I can meet with the Committee before the matter comes to the Committee Stage. This Bill will be an Act of Parliament for the regulation of in-vitro fertilisation, to prohibit certain practices in connection with in-vitro fertilisation, to establish an In-Vitro Fertilisation Authority, to make provision in relation to children born of In-Vitro Fertilisation process and for connected purposes. I want to start off by indicating that very many women in this country have challenges having children through normal reproductive processes. A sizeable number of the Kenyan population, because of advances in technology, have opted for assisted technologies. It is not unlawful in this country, yet there is no legislative framework. That, therefore, means that if we do not pass a law that provides a legislative framework, the practice will continue save that there will be no legislative framework. Therefore, you will find a situation where women who have given birth through these processes face legal challenges, especially when they use surrogate mothers. Instances have appeared before a court recently where even the court requested Parliament, as a matter of urgency, to pass such a law, so that they are not inundated with cases where a woman leases her womb for purposes of reproduction and once the child is born, because she feels that she has a bond with the child for whatever reason, she decides that she does not want to let go of the child. The courts are then forced to make a decision. In this matter, the courts have gone way ahead of us as a country. We have Members in this House who are facing the same challenges. Hon. Joyce Lay has indicated in the past that she has got a child through assisted reproduction. The child is her biological child. For medical reasons, she could not have the child normally. After she delivered the child, she was forced to go to court for an order to adopt her own child. Those are the ridiculous situations that we find ourselves in. I do not have a child. One of the reasons I have not had a child is due to my lifestyle. I am married to a non-Kenyan and I do not want to have a child with another man and present it as my husband’s child. Because of the distances and my age, we could not have a child naturally unless we want to go the biblical times of Abraham and Sarah. Miracles are in short supply nowadays. Because of that, I have delayed getting a child until there is a legal framework. I do not want to have a child and after that go to court and start struggling with whether it is my child or not. Having said that, even if I do not have a child, I am proud. I want to tell all the women in this country who do not have children that it is neither a crime nor a shame not to have a child. I am indicating it here because some of our Members made very unfortunate remarks when we were politicking. One of them actually mentioned me as a barren prostitute because we had disagreed on an issue of politics. Once I came into this House as a woman, I knew that I would always be hit below the belt. Please, look for more innovative ways to attack us, as women because we are used to being hit below the belt. It will not hinder us. It will not stop some of us, who want to come forward and deal with issues of reproduction, from raising them. God gave me a special opportunity to be in this House at this time. For purposes of speaking to women issues, I will--- I am sure that the other women in this House will be “Esther” for the purposes of other women. Without fear or favour, I will be the voice of the many women who have challenges in having children. When I was confronted with this issue, my concern at that point was not 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."
}