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{
    "id": 917613,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/917613/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 97,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nairobi CWR, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Esther Passaris",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12475,
        "legal_name": "Esther Passaris",
        "slug": "esther-passaris"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order No.44(2)(c), I wish to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Labour and Social Welfare on the current status of the legislation relating to children. The National Steering Committee was set up by His Excellency the President to review and propose changes to the legislation related to children and update the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection on its recommendations. There has been an inordinate delay in finalising the relevant legislation relating to children. It is in view of these delays and their subsequent inconveniences that I seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Labour and Social Welfare on the following: (i) whether the Committee is seized of any draft legislation on children from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection; and, (ii) confirmation whether the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has received any report or recommendations from the National Steering Committee regarding the proposed legislation, children related welfare matters and matters that have been put in place to ensure that delays in reviewing legislation relating to children do not prejudice the rights of children in Kenya. Hon. Speaker, I would like to bring it to your attention that the Children Act 2001 was enacted 18 years ago. Today, our children are very vulnerable. We have in mind children who are not adopted, children who are lured into extremism, terrorism and drug abuse and children who are defiled and raped resulting in early teenage pregnancies. Recently, a Member of Parliament proposed that pregnant children should be locked up in jail. Judges are interrogating whether boys who impregnate girls in school should also be jailed. We have a lot of issues that need to be addressed. We should put legislation in place with a view to protect our children in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that we have adopted, and in line with all the UN conventions that we are a signatory to."
}