Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo has called out women who extort money from men in the name of child support.
In a lengthy post on her social media, the vocal ODM MP shared her personal experience as a lawyer, where she represented women in child support cases.
“Many men often refused to take care of their children upon separation or divorce from the wife. It was worse for children born out of lawful wedlock,
“Our main principle at The Cradle; where I used to work was that the interest of the child came first and this overrides the interests of the couple whether married to each other or not,
“That is why we pushed for the protection of children born out of wedlock since they do not choose to be born out of wedlock,” Millie shared.
The Suba North MP revealed she has even dealt with child support cases involving influential politicians in Kenya.
“We quietly dealt with many cases touching on Members of Parliament, Ministers, media personalities, etc. without publicising the same since our concern was the best interests of the child,
“I still support the provision for all children by both parents whether the child is born within or outside lawful wedlock,” Millie Odhiambo said.
However, the MP expressed disappointment in the cropping trend of women using child support cases to defame their baby daddies.
“I am nonetheless shocked at the growing trend to use child support cases to shame one spouse (often the man) and to ‘extort’ money”
“When you seek KSh 300,000 per month from a man who has a wife and other children, are you implying your child comes fitted with a gadget to solve the world’s problems?” she posed.
She called out the baby mamas who have been making unreasonable demands, saying it would spoil chances for women who genuinely need child support.
“Let us ask for reasonable money to support our children that takes into account the fact that there is a wife or wives and there are other children,
“Let us not appear as gold-diggers seeking to use such cases for unjust enrichment but to promote the best interests of all children within and outside marriage,
“We have worked so hard for this we do not want a backlash,” Millie Odhiambo advised.
Her sentiments come amid a case where Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina has been sued for a KSh 200,000 monthly child support.
