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{
    "id": 850943,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/850943/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 274,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this matter might possibly be referred to my Committee. Therefore, I will make my remarks brief. First, the ratings we are hearing are making people lose sight of this issue. Our counties are not competing on this matter. Even if it was a matter of only one county, we should have the same kind of outrage. It is not about whether your county has a 40 per cent or a 20 per cent prevalence rate; it is a moral problem in our county. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I agree on the first dimension, where Members are saying that older men are preying on these young girls. We must criminalize it and take it as seriously as it should be taken. We must ensure that any such person who snatches out the future of a child gets the highest kind of punishment. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is an element that we are not looking at. Many young girls who are getting pregnant are being impregnated by their peers. What is wrong with our society? What kind of county accepts such numbers? The rapists, the older men and the sponsors must be dealt with. What happened to our value system in this country? Mr. Deputy Speaker Sir, so many times one will go to establishments of recreation and you find even colleagues are there. But just because it is a bouncing castle, you think you can go and get alcohol in the same venue where children play. Children are exposed to so much indecency at such a young age. Just a few weeks ago I was at an establishment that I will not name along Limuru Road; it is a very big place that you all know. I gave them seven days to comply, because they have a bar that masquerades as a balling alley. You will find young, unaccompanied children and teenagers being dropped by their parents there, and the 14 and 15 year-olds are going in for the alcohol. I told them ‘if you do not comply within seven days, we will shut down this place.’ Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, that is the level that we, as a country, have come down to. We are exposing our children to so much rot and decay at such a young age and we must deal with it. When you see the society grappling with such issues, it means that the voice and the place of men has been diminished. If you look at the kind of discussions we have been having over the past few years, when you talk about prevention against domestic violence – I hope that my male colleagues are listening to me – we say that is a ‘women’s’ issue’ and we are not in the House. When we talk about issues of gender equity, we say that is a ‘women’s’ issue’ we are not involved. The biggest voices we are hearing on this matter of teenage pregnancy right now is that of women, and I am glad that it is Sen. Khaniri who has raised it here. When will we realize our spiritual role in society to protect, guide and show the way to cover a generation and society? It is that absence that has led our young girls not being affirmed by their fathers such that a boda boda man can tell them they are beautiful because you The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}