Janet Mbugua Lashes Out at MPs After Ejection of Female Colleague

Media personality Janet Mbugua, on Wednesday, came out guns blazing at Members of Parliament after Kwale Woman Rep, Zuleikha Hassan, was ejected from the chamber after walking in with her baby.

Taking to her social media platforms, the NTV show host faulted the ejection terming it a shameful incident.

"My level of livid right now! Shame on these folks. Shame! Being a mother is treated like a punishment so many times. Her little angel is probably traumatized by this. Her too. We must demand support for mothers in the workplace," she conveyed.

Mbugua, who is a mother of two sons, explained that she was hurt and angered adding that the situation could have befallen any woman, including herself. 

"For those who don’t have the options of leaving their child with a caregiver? Who have to pull up with their baby because they could lose their job? Who can’t afford it? Are we going to punish them to support them? Which is it!" she demanded.

During the dramatic session, the presiding Speaker, Chris Omulele, ordered Zuleika and her lactating 5-month-old baby to be kicked out of the house maintaining that it was against the standing orders of the house for any member to bring along a toddler.

"I had an emergency, I have to come to work, we have two sessions today a  morning and afternoon one. Parliament in 2013, the PSC passed that we should have a room, a creche where we can breastfeed our child," Zulekha explained.

Following the incident, which coincidentally occurred on World Breastfeeding Day, a number of leaders also expressed their support for the female MP.

Nairobi Woman Rep, Esther Passaris, posted a throwback picture of herself breastfeeding with the caption, "I stand in solidarity with my sister and fellow working mom, Hon. Zuleika Hassan.

"I call on Ministry of Health to prioritize breastfeeding and ensure women are supported to exclusively breastfeed in their homes, communities and at their workplace," she advocated.

In September 2018, New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, who gave birth while in office, made history by bringing her three-month-old daughter into the United Nations Assembly Hall.

According to a report by CNN, Ardern was photographed kissing and coddling Neve in the assembly hall next to her partner, Clarke Gayford, at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit.

 

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