Nominated MP Sabina Chege has welcomed the passage of the Breastfeeding Mothers Bill, 2024, by the National Assembly, paving the way for proposed measures to protect breastfeeding mothers in workplaces and public buildings.
Chege, who sponsored the Bill, said the proposed legislation seeks to address challenges faced by working mothers, including the lack of private spaces to breastfeed or express breast milk and limited workplace arrangements to accommodate their childcare needs.
In a statement celebrating the development, the legislator described the parliamentary approval as a significant step towards safeguarding the welfare of mothers and their babies.
"We did it! The National Assembly has passed the Breastfeeding Mothers Bill, 2024!" Chege announced.
She said the Bill was designed to protect mothers who are often forced to express breast milk in inappropriate spaces or choose between their employment and caring for their infants.
"This Bill is for every mother forced to express milk in a toilet or choose between her job and her baby," she stated.
Under the proposed law, employers would be required to provide private and clean lactation rooms where breastfeeding mothers can comfortably express and store breast milk. The facilities would be separate from toilets and other unsuitable spaces.
The Bill also proposes breastfeeding breaks and flexible working arrangements to enable mothers to meet their children's needs while continuing with their professional responsibilities.
Additionally, the legislation seeks to protect breastfeeding mothers from discrimination, ensuring that women are not unfairly treated at work because they are nursing their babies.
The proposed measures extend beyond workplaces, with provisions requiring public buildings accommodating 50 or more people to have baby-changing facilities.
Chege thanked members of the National Assembly's Committee on Social Protection and her parliamentary colleagues for supporting the legislative initiative.
She said the measures would help create a more supportive environment for mothers and promote the health and wellbeing of infants.
"A healthy baby, a protected mother, a stronger nation," she said.
Despite the passage by the National Assembly, the Bill must still complete the remaining constitutional steps, including presidential assent, before it becomes law. The proposed requirements would then be subject to implementation in accordance with the enacted legislation.
The initiative comes amid ongoing discussions about workplace policies, maternal welfare and the need to make employment environments more accommodating to women balancing professional responsibilities with childcare.