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{
    "id": 718259,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/718259/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 203,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Ghati",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 856,
        "legal_name": "Dennitah Ghati",
        "slug": "dennitah-ghati"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to speak about this topic. I would wish on the outset to say that I support the amendments. I thank Hon. Florence for the Sexual Offences Bill. Defilement in this country has reached an all-time high. Teachers are defiling our young girls, chiefs are defiling our girls and relatives are defiling our girls and even boys. When you are talking about sexual offences, you are not talking about girls only, you are talking about young boys who are also being defiled right, left and centre. Our young people and our children are not safe. It is high time that as a country and as a Parliament, we started talking freely about sex. We have to talk about sex and sexual harassment. I am happy that this Bill is proposing sex education in the curriculum. It is the 21st Century and we cannot bury our heads in the sand. We need to talk about how our young children need to learn about how to protect themselves from sexual harassment. I am happy that we are discussing this topic and our male and female colleagues are all contributing to this. I come from Migori County. Every day, I hear cases of defilement from Rongo Constituency all the way to Isebania. Where I come from, defilement is like the order of the day. It is not right. I am happy that we are talking about people who should be custodians of this law. Hon. Speaker, Section 40A says: “Any person who, in order to conceal a sexual offence – (a) solicits for money, domestic animals or any property as compensation from the suspect; (b) marries off the victim to the suspected offender; commits an offence and shall be---” Out of poverty, parents have been compromised. For example, a child is defiled and perpetrators come to negotiate with the parents of the child who think it is normal to negotiate out of court. I am happy that this is provided for in law. I have come across many cases where parents negotiate out of court: Perpetrators are left free, chiefs and police take their share and the young girl is left to nurse injuries. I am happy that it is now provided for in law that the offender shall be liable to imprisonment of not less than five years or to a fine of Kshs500, 000. I want to urge that the fine is increased to Kshs1 million. We cannot allow chiefs to compromise with parents and let girls drop out of school and nurse injuries. The fine for a chief, teacher or a parent is very little. I am happy that Section 40B of the Bill provides for special units within the police stations. These units have been lacking. We have been talking about gender- based violence, but 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."
}