'Boy child is an endangered species,' Wetang'ula tells UNICEF representative

By Peter Ochieng

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula has urged the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), to consider including support of the boy child in their advocacy programs.

The boy child, Wetang'ula said, is an "endangered species" by virtue of most of the organizations championing for the rights of children, directing all their energy towards girls at the expense of boys.

"The boy child in Kenya is suffering in silence. All efforts have been put on uplifting the girl child. UNICEF should intervene because they have the capacity," said the Speaker.

"UNICEF has done well in uplifting the girl child. They have gotten the girl from the kitchen to the table. The boy child has been forgotten in this journey and this might lead to a society that is not balanced," added the former Bungoma Senator.

Wetang'ula spoke on Thursday when he hosted UNICEF Kenya Representative Dr. Shaheen Nilofer, who paid him a courtesy call in his office at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi.

He said that even during church service in his own Catholic Church, girls are at the forefront as they take part in liturgical dancing, while boys are left to watch at the periphery.

"The National Assembly is ready to collaborate and work with UNICEF because the organization is a very important partner to the government," added the Speaker.

On her part, Dr. Nilofer pointed out that the National Assembly was a critical wing of government, noting that collaboration was necessary to actualisation of their agenda in the Country.

"UNICEF has worked closely with ministries and other government entities in our work and collaboration by National Assembly will be a big win for us in our efforts to achieve our goal."

"Kenya has achieved a lot on matters of children rights but it is still worrying that 2.5 million children are out of school because of various reasons," she observed.

Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss and Migori County Women Representative Fatuma Zainab, were among those present.