Bill on breastfeeding at work back in the House

Nyeri mums during a breastfeeding campaign. File photo | nmg 

By LYNET IGADWAH

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Summary

• The Breastfeeding Mothers Bill 2017wants employers to provide breastfeeding stations that include fridges and breast pumps for expressing milk.
• The bill also states that employers must give time for women to breastfeed, estimated at about 40 minutes after every four hours.

A Bill seeking to compel workers to set aside special breastfeeding areas for employees and visitors with children has been taken back to Parliament.

The Breastfeeding Mothers Bill 2017 drafted by Murang’a County MP Sabina Chege wants employers to provide breastfeeding stations that include fridges and breast pumps for expressing milk.

Mothers may opt to breastfeed their babies or express the milk at the lactation place, but they will be provided with trained nannies and offered balanced meals and snacks daily at the employers’ expense.

Those owning public facilities, such as restaurants, with an occupancy of at least 30 persons will also be expected to have baby changing facilities, adding a new responsibility to real estate developers or those leasing space.

The bill also states that employers must give time for women to breastfeed, estimated at about 40 minutes after every four hours.

“The principal object of the Bill is to provide a legal framework on mothers who may wish to breastfeed their children at the work place,” says Ms Chege in the Bill.

“The Bill further provides for baby changing tables. This is important because the greater majority of the public finds it unsanitary to change a baby in a public setting such as a restaurant,” says Chege.

Those in breach of the changing room rule could be jailed for a one year or fined Sh500,000 or both.

Rachel Nyamai, Kitui South MP, brought a similar Breastfeeding Bill to Parliament in 2015.

The Health Bill 2015 however failed to become law. It was meant to help women work and at the same time improve children’s health.

The same proposal was rejected by the previous Parliament after business groups threatened to stop employing women if forced to provide breastfeeding facilities.

Ms Chege says her bill is anchored on the international treaties Kenya has inked.

The government unveiled a human resource policy last year, that gave public institutions three years to set up day-care facilities and provide breastfeeding employees with well-equipped lactating rooms.