This follows a clause-by-clause review during the Committee of the Whole House where several amendments were considered and the Bill subsequently adopted.

The principal object of the Bill is to give effect to Articles 43(1)(a) and 53(1)(c) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, and respond to emerging issues in maternal and reproductive health.

Sponsored by North Ugenya MCA Hon. Bernard Adallah, the Bill was met with widespread approval from Members of the County Assembly. It seeks to provide a legal framework to address reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health issues in Siaya County.

The Bill aims to raise awareness about diseases related to maternal, neonatal, and child health, provide a framework for expectant and lactating women to access health services, and increase the uptake of immunization and vaccination services for children.

Moving the Motion for the adoption of the Bill, Health Services Committee Chairperson, Hon. Sylas Madingu, highlighted that the Bill further intends to establish a structure to reduce mother and child morbidity and mortality and promote public awareness and social mobilization to achieve sustained maternal and child health.

“If approved by this House and enacted into law, the Bill will task the County Department of Health Services to take measures to provide nutritional information and support to mothers to uplift the nutritional health of their children,” Hon. Madingu said.

Seconding the Motion, Hon. Adalla said the legislation will streamline the County’s healthcare sector as it will require the Department of Health Services to equip all level 3,4, and 5 health facilities within the County to provide quality maternity services for all the residents of the county.

“The Bill proposes that no health facility, whether public or private, shall deny emergency medical treatment to any pregnant woman or child unless the health facility does not generally provide the services to which the emergency relates, in which case the health facility shall promptly make an appropriate referral,” he underscored.

Supporting the adoption of the Bill, nominated MCA, Hon. Cynthia Akinyi reiterated that the disease burden in Siaya specifically from malaria, HIV, and even sickle cell will go down by the passage of the Bill.

“After passing this Bill, we need to push for its absolute implementation because statistics paint a very grim picture of our health sector. When it comes to teenage pregnancy, we are at 21% against the national rate of 15%. The other day when we went to open the Madiany Sub-County Hospital Maternity theatre, we noted that out of the 12 women who had delivered, 4 of them were teenagers and one fact that we have to be aware of is that these teenage pregnancies are as a result of sexual-based defilement. The passage of this Bill will help us address these misnomers,” she noted.

Following the passage of the Siaya County Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health Bill, and in line with Section 24 of the County Governments Act, 2012, House Speaker George Okode has committed to, within 3 days, forward the Bill to the Governor for assent.

Siaya will be the first County among the 47 Counties to enact such a law.