16 is still a child’ Campaign
National Campaign against the proposed Kenya amendment bill to the Sexual Offences Act (no.6 of 2006) on reducing the age of consent on consensual sex - ‘16 is still a child’ Campaign
NIGEE organized a campaign that attracted over 3,000 people both online (social media, radio & TV) and during street demonstrations. The campaign was initiated immediately the local Kenyan dailies published a submission of memoranda by the Kenyan National Assembly. In this advertisement, the Members of Parliament were suggesting several amendments to different Acts. One suggested amendment was to the Sexual Offences Act that was seeking to reduce consensual age with regards to the offence of defilement from eighteen to sixteen years. The Penal Code caps the age at 16 years but since the Sexual Offences Act was made law, it overrides the Penal Code. According to NIGEE, reducing or lowering the age was going to see increase in early child marriages in Kenya; result to increased rape or sexual assault cases in Kenya; increase rates of teenage pregnancies; definitely have a negative effect on efforts around reducing new HIV infections especially among adolescent girls; and was negatively going to affect the full potential of the girl child. By holding the procession, submitting memoranda and conducting intensive media campaign, the Members of Parliament were able to see sense which forced them to suspend the amendments and maintain the consensual age at 18 years.
Outside Kisumu Law Courts | Peaceful Procession through Kisumu |