This archive report was first published on 20 September 2019.
On September 20, 2019, a heated debate erupted in the National Assembly after National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale made a comment that sparked outrage among female MPs.
During a discussion on a class six girl who committed suicide after allegedly being shamed for having her menstrual periods in school, Duale quoted a report from the Teacher’s Service Commission indicating that the 14-year-old girl had access to pads.
However, his comment that the matter should be treated as any other crime involving suicide, and that female MPs were politicizing the issue, did not go down well with the female lawmakers.
Prof. Makau Mutua once described Duale as having an ‘ungoverned mouth’ and speaking ‘toxic matter’.
When female MPs protested, Duale picked on Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga and accused her of shouting at him, saying, ‘You cannot shout at me because you are not my wife. She is the only one who can shout at me because she has given me five sons, or my mother.’
His comment sparked a heated exchange, with men in the assembly cheering while the women lawmakers jeered.
