This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
On August 12, 2019, a dramatic scene unfolded in the Kenyan parliament when Kwale Woman Representative Zuleika Hassan brought her five-month-old breastfeeding baby to the chambers.
According to an old rule, 'strangers' are not allowed to step on the floor of the House during proceedings. However, several female and male MPs came to Ms Hassan's defence, forming a ring to protect her.
They argued that Ms Hassan was doing the honourable thing by prioritizing her child's needs, and that the parliament was outdated for not providing a feeding room.
Ms Hassan herself said, 'I had an emergency and decided not to miss work but to come with the baby. She is not an atomic bomb and can't explode.'
However, Ijara MP Sophia Abdi Noor threatened that if a breastfeeding room was not established, women with breastfeeding children would be encouraged to bring their children to the chambers to send a message.
The incident highlights the conflicted issues surrounding fertility, motherhood, and public breastfeeding in 'modern' Africa and other parts of the world.
It also raises questions about the symbolism of breastfeeding and the power dynamics at play in public spaces.
