Homa Bay Town MP, Peter Kaluma has tabled a new bill in Parliament that seeks to allow breastfeeding mothers, including MPs, judges, and ministers, to breastfeed at their workplaces freely.
In a statement shared on his X account on Thursday, October 24, 2024, Kaluma expressed his concerns about current regulations that prevent breastfeeding in settings like Parliament, courtrooms, or cabinet meetings.
“Why don’t our rules allow breastfeeding MPs, Judges, and Ministers to freely breastfeed at the place of work in Parliament, in court, or in Cabinet meetings/office? This takes away from the rights of the child and should stop. I have proposed a law on this, and I hope it is passed,” Kaluma stated.
Why don’t our rules allow breastfeeding MPs, Judges and Ministers to freely breastfeed at the place of work in Parliament, in court or in Cabinet meetings/office?
— Hon. George Peter Kaluma, CBS. MP. (@gpdkaluma) October 24, 2024
This takes away from the right of the child and should stop.
I have proposed law on this and I hope it is passed.
If passed, it will mandate not only support in public institutions like Parliament but also in other workplaces and public areas across the country.
This is not the first time such a proposal has been made in the Kenyan Parliament. The Breastfeeding Mothers Bill, 2024, was sponsored by nominated MP, Sabina Chege earlier in the year.
The bill underwent its First Reading on May 2, 2024, and was referred to the Departmental Committee on Social Protection for further review. The bill aims to create a legal framework to protect the rights of working mothers who need to breastfeed their children.
It calls for employers to provide designated lactation rooms in workplaces and suggests that public spaces such as offices, restaurants, and bathrooms should be equipped with facilities to support breastfeeding and childcare.
Zuleika incident
In 2019, a group of female MPs walked out of Parliament in support of Kwale County Woman Representative Zuleika Hassan, who was instructed to leave the chamber for bringing along her five-month-old baby.
Hassan explained that she had to bring her child due to an urgent domestic situation, but pointed out that Parliament lacked a childcare facility. At the time, parliamentary rules prohibited outsiders, including children, from entering the chambers.
“I have tried hard not to come with the baby, but today I had an emergency; what was I supposed to do? If parliament had a nursery or a creche, I would be able to put my baby there,” she explained.
