Women Members of Parliament have come out to denounce archaic and retrogressive cultural practice being witnessed in the country in reference to an incident where a woman was viciously assaulted during the burial ceremony of her estranged husband in Nyamira County.

 The legislators including Nominated Senators Veronica Maina, Catherine Mumma, Karen Nyamu, Hamida Kibwana and Women Representatives Doris Donya (Kisii) and Betty Maina (Kirinyaga) wondered how the violence upon the helpless mother happened.

During a press conference held in parliament buildings, the women leaders drawn from the National Assembly and the Senate under their umbrellas, the Kenya Women Parliamentarians Association (KEWOPA) and Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA)condemned the incident.

 Mellen Mogaka was violently attacked by a gang of men who forced her to participate in burial rituals against her will in Nyabisimba village in Nyamira County in a video clip that went viral on social media platforms provoking outcry among Kenyans.

 “It is quite unfortunate that a rowdy group of adult men, in a most detestable, uncivilized, barbaric, form of gender violence attacked her purporting to implement some retrogressive and uncouth cultural practice, ” they said in a joint statement issued to the Media.

 The legislators said that the most disturbing thing is that all this was taking place in broad daylight in the presence of all those who were in attendance of this funeral and assumed by among others the church that was presiding, community leaders and administration officers

 Senator Mumma that Kenyans are failing in the collective responsibility of protecting the most vulnerable in the society saying that it was wrong for the most vulnerable members of the society, disabled, old women, children being assaulted day in day out without any action being taken.

 “This beating was done in presence of government administrators among other responsible citizens, this tells you where they place women and children whom they look down upon who should never be assaulted when we are watching,” said Mumma.

 Senator Maina said that somebody should have actually held back those men from what they were doing and it was disturbing that the children of this woman went through what they went through even though they are Kisii children, they must be very disturbed over what they saw.   

 According to Senator Maina, the Nyamira incident was a disgrace to Kenyan women and cultural practices that oppress women should not exist in the present world and that Kenyans were shocked to see a woman who had separated with her late husband being assaulted.

“We do not know what they wanted her to do with the soil. We were embarrassed as Kenyan women and leaders, outdated cultural practices that fuel oppression of women should be done away with as soon as possible,” said Maina.

Migori Women Representative Fatuma Zainab criticized the church for watching as the woman, her children and mother were being mistreated without taking action saying the incident portrays Kenyan women as lesser humans without any law that protects them.

 “We wonder if the culprits, would want their daughters and their wives to be treated in the same manner, they should be behind bars as we are speaking apprehended, culture protects and preserves dignity and no amount of hiding behind any culture can ever justify this form of violation of Mellen Mogaka’s rights,” Zainab.

 The legislators said that as Kenyan women leaders they are condemning this culture of forcing widows to engage in certain cultural rites that they are opposed to and that they are clearly repugnant to law and criminal in nature, repugnant to any form of morality and completely unconstitutional. 

The legislators want the Interior Ministry to pronounce itself on this grave matter with the culprits apprehended as well as damages paid to the victim calling upon all women to share information on retrogressive cultures which aid SGBV