This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
Millie Odhiambo: I'm Ready to Care for Children My Husband Sired Out of Wedlock ¶
Millie Odhiambo, a Kenyan MP, has sparked controversy with her recent statement that she is willing to care for children her husband has fathered outside of their marriage.
Speaking at an event in Mbita on August 14, 2019, Odhiambo said that she would take care of children her husband, Magugu Mabona, has fathered outside of their marriage, as she does not want to see any child suffer due to the differences between their parents.
She emphasized that if her husband recognizes and accepts the children, it would be easier for him to settle his affairs when he passes away, as the children would already be known to the family.
"I have allowed Mabona to bring all the children he has fathered outside of our marriage. I am ready to care for these children because I do not want to see any child suffer due to the differences between their parents. If my husband Mabona has children outside, it is good that he recognizes and accepts them," she said.
Odhiambo is also pushing for a bill in parliament that would require men to acknowledge and take responsibility for their children, regardless of whether they were born in or out of wedlock.
She noted that the number of men claiming to be the fathers of children during DNA testing ceremonies has been increasing, and that this has led to a rise in cases of men abandoning their children.
"The number of men who claim to be the fathers of children during DNA testing ceremonies has been increasing, and this has led to a rise in cases of men abandoning their children," she said.
According to Odhiambo, the current system is unfair to women and children, as they are often left to fend for themselves after the father abandons them.
She called on men to take responsibility for their children and to acknowledge them as their own, rather than abandoning them.
"I urge men to take responsibility for their children and to acknowledge them as their own, rather than abandoning them," she said.
Source: Tuko, August 16, 2019
