Gachagua misguided on call for couples to bear many children
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Hiriga village, Nyeri County on October 2, 2023.
What you need to know:
- In an interview with a local radio station, the Deputy President said he had grown up in a large family of nine siblings but now found himself with only two children.
- He expressed regret for this and attributed it to what he called "the influence of the Western world mentality”.
I was planning to ignore utterances by the Kenya Kwanza government, because each update on its vampiric tax collection and increasing cost of living robs me of the small joys of living. But after reading about Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's pleading with people of his Mt Kenya backyard to "to sire more children, five, six, seven, eight (children)… God will help you, and you will be able to raise them," I changed my mind.
In an interview with a local radio station, the Deputy President said he had grown up in a large family of nine siblings but now found himself with only two children. He expressed regret for this and attributed it to what he called "the influence of the Western world mentality”.
I know that politicians trade in empty rhetoric, but these are more than just words as they reflect a dangerous disregard for the economic and social realities facing the average Kenyan. The irony of Gachagua crying about “Western world mentality” is that he is a suit-wearing, English-speaking, monogamous Christian man. All these are products of the Western world that he’s conveniently kept, so why’s family singled out as the “evil” inheritance from the West?
Family planning
Family planning is a critical component of healthcare that empowers women and families to make informed decisions about their reproductive choices. It’s not an imposition of Western values but a globally recognised fundamental right.
Gachagua’s statements may have been in response to the January 2023 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey report, which indicated high rates of family planning in the Mt Kenya region. However, reducing the issue to simplistic and reactionary statements is an inadequate response to a complex and multifaceted problem.
The high family planning uptake in these regions is not a problem to be solved, as it reflects the responsible choices of women and families who are making informed decisions about their reproductive health. It is a testament to the progress made in ensuring women's access to reproductive healthcare.
Large families can be a source of joy and fulfilment, but they can also strain resources, exacerbate poverty, and hinder economic development. The Deputy President's call for more children, with the promise that "God will help you, and you will be able to raise them," is just a convenient way to rally support without offering concrete solutions to the real challenges of healthcare, education, and employment that come with a growing family.
Moreover, the burden of raising more children often falls disproportionately on women, limiting their opportunities for education and employment, and perpetuating gender inequalities.
It is essential for leaders to promote policies that support economic growth and gender equality, rather than advocating outdated and unsustainable family planning practices.
The writer comments on social and gender topics (@FaithOneya; [email protected])
