Senator Irungu Kang’ata Wants Kenyan Deadbeat Fathers Barred from Traveling Abroad

Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata has drafted a new Bill that recommends tough punishment on Kenyan deadbeat fathers.

In his Bill that seeks to amend the Children's Act, Senator Kang’ata wants men who deliberately fail to pay child support blacklisted by Credit Reference Bureau (CRB), making then unable to get loans.

The lawyer also wants fathers who abandon their children to be barred by the Immigration Department from traveling abroad.

If such individuals are businessmen, Senator Kang’ata recommends suspension of their trading licenses until they meet their parental obligations. The bill also proposes that deadbeat fathers are denied certificates of good conduct by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Senator Kang’ata further proposes that court cases detailing children to be made faster and easier with costs cut down. The bill also proposes the sharing of DNA costs among parents or child welfare societies.

“If DNA turns negative, then the costs can be shared,” reads part of the Bill as quoted by The Star.

Currently, the cost of conducting a DNA test ranges from Sh8,000 but can rise up to Sh20,000 if being carried out for legal purposes.