Support boy child in your advocacy for children’s rights, Speaker Wetang’ula urges UNICEF

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟏𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫,𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

National Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Moses Wetang'ula has asked UNICEF to consider including the support of the boy child in their advocacy programmes.

Wetang'ula said the boy child are "endangered species" after most of organizations championing for the rights of children directed all their arsenals towards girls at the expense of boys.

"The boy child in Kenya is suffering in silence. All efforts have been put on uplifting the girl child. UNICEF should intervene because they have the capacity," said Speaker.

Hon. Wetang'ula made the remarks when he hosted UNICEF Kenya Representative Dr. Shaheen Nilofer who paid him a courtesy call in his office at Parliament Buildings on Thursday.

Deputy Speaker Hon. Gladys Boss and Migori County MP, Hon. Fatuma Zainab were present.

"UNICEF has done well in uplifting the girl child. They have gotten the girl from the kitchen to the table, “said Dr. Wetang'ula.

"The boy child has been forgotten in this journey and this might lead to a society that is not balanced," He added.

Hon. Wetang’ula further noted the need to formulate policies that can also safeguard the rights of the boy child for the purpose of equality in the society.

He elaborated that even in his own Catholic Church during church service, girls are at the forefront during worship as they take part in liturgical dancing while boys are left to watch at the periphery.

The Speaker assured the Multinational body that the National Assembly is ready to work with UNICEF to support their programmes that are geared towards alleviating poverty and ensuring equality in the society.

"The National Assembly is ready to collaborate and work with UNICEF because the organization is a very important partner to the government," he added.

He observed that UNICEF has been able to comfortably operate in the country because they are great development partners with the government.

He assured the UNICEF Chief that in his capacity, he will ensure all the Committees that are relevant to programmes undertaken by UNICEF were available and collaborate to drive their agenda home.

On her part, Dr. Nilofer pointed out that the National Assembly was a critical wing of government noting that collaboration was necessary to actualisation of their agenda.

"UNICEF has worked closely with ministries and other government entities in our work and collaboration by National Assembly will be a big win for us in our efforts to achieve our goal," she added.

She added that UNICEF had stepped up campaigns to promote the rights of children in the country but observed that that there was still a lot to be done.

"Kenya has achieved a lot on matters of children rights but it is still worrying that 2.5 million children are out of school because of various reasons," she added.

She noted that they were putting measures in place to ensure that the children access education as she called on National Assembly's support on the same.

She committed that UNICEF will continue to support various programmes in Agriculture, Education and Social Protection sectors noting that they were critical to the we'll bring of people.