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In a candid post on her Facebook page on Wednesday, December 1, Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo Mabona said that women had worked hard over the years to ensure children’s rights are given priority and abuse of that achievement would be detrimental.
She noted that a number of women have turned co-parenting agreements into a conduit for asking hefty sums yet raising a child requires effort from both parents.
“We quietly dealt with many cases touching on MPs, Ministers, Media personalities etc. without publicising the same since our concern was the best interests of the child.
“I still support the provision for all children by both parents whether the child is born within or outside lawful wedlock. I am nonetheless shocked at the growing trend to use child support cases to shame one spouse (often the man) and to 'extort' money,” read part of the MP’s post.
“When you seek Sh300,000 per month from a man who has a wife and other children, are you implying your child comes fitted with a gadget to solve the world's problems? Let us not spoil for women who genuinely need support for a child born out of wedlock,” Mrs Mabona added.
The ODM legislator urged mothers to ask for reasonable money to support children, by taking into account that there is another family depending on the same man.
“Let us not appear as gold-diggers seeking to use such cases for unjust enrichment but to promote the best interests of all children within and outside marriage. We have worked so hard for this we do not want a backlash,” she advised.
Millie recalled that when she worked at The Cradle, she ensured the interests of the children always came first whether the couple was married or not.