Women employees could have a reason to celebrate if a bill that seeks to add more days to the maternity leave is passed in parliament.
The amendments contained in the Employment Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015 could see women get 24 fully paid extra leave days, not including weekends.
Men could also get four extra paternity leave days as the bill seeks to change the calculation of paternity leave period from calendar to working days, Business Daily reports.
While the bill could be beneficial to parents who will get more time with their families, it is bound to hurt employers.
The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) has been quoted saying that the wages incurred by employers during the leave period could be unbearable.
The federation has argued that should the proposals by the bill pass, employers might shy away from employing women.
The bill is currently undergoing public and stakeholder consultation.
Currently a female employee is entitled to 90 paid days in maternity leave, inclusive of weekends.
Men are given 2 weeks in paternity leave, counted in calendar days.
