Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata has proposed a law aimed at punishing deadbeat fathers who deliberately fail to pay child support.
According to the proposed law, failure to pay child support will have one blacklisted at Credit Reference Bureau as well as put one on notice for monitoring by other lenders.
The Senator initiated certain proposed punishments aimed to target the deadbeat fathers who abandon their children, among them is barring them from leaving the country by Immigration departments.
The country has had enough laws initiated to secure the future of children whose parents have neglected them especially their fathers.
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However, the number of children raised by single mothers has become alarming, with fathers taking the denial route and even failing to meet the child support requirements.
With the new law, deadbeat fathers will be barred from travelling outside the country for businesses and their trading licenses suspended, only to be renewed when they meet their financial obligations.
The Kenya Police Service under the proposed law is also expected to deny deadbeat fathers certificates of good conduct hence difficulties in securing employment in government institutions.
A certificate of good conduct has been made almost mandatory in most organizations as it details the criminal history of an individual.
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Additionally, under section 23 of the Children’s Act, duties and roles of a parent are defined together with a child’s rights.
Senator Kang’ata, therefore, proposes to have cases detailing children that are in court made faster and easier with costs cut down.
DNA examination costs are currently high hence denying many the opportunity to consider paternity tests.
In the proposed law, the DNA costs will be shared among parents or child welfare societies.
“If DNA turns negative, then the costs can be shared,” reads part of the proposal.
However, some of the proposals were opposed with children activists, terming it counterproductive if adopted.
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Wanjeru Nderu, a social justice activist faulted the issue with cancelling trade licenses adding that it would not work and would be detrimental to economic growth in an interview with the Star.
“How do you cancel their trading licenses — effectively clipping their financial ability — yet you want them to pay? How will this work?” said Nderu.
Another social worker stated that there are enough laws governing the country on deadbeat fathers hence the proposal should be broadened to accommodate all types of fathers.
“Which struggling Kenyan working as a watchman or a bodaboda rider would be bothered by restricted flight out of the country? That piece of proposed legislation is narrow and it must appreciate that even those not financially stable are also failing to sustain child support,” said Jerotich Seii.
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