LILIAN NG’ANG’A CALLS FOR EXTENSION OF MATERNITY LEAVE TO 6 MONTHS

Former Machakos First Lady, Lilian Ng’ang’a has sparked an online conversation after calling for the extension of maternity leave from the current three months to six months.

In a video shared online, Ng’ang’a shared concern that three months is insufficient for new mothers to fully recover after childbirth and bond with their babies. “I’m out on my morning run, and then I see this young girl, and she had a baby on her back, you know, and looking for work,” she recounted.

She questioned why Kenya still offers only three months of maternity leave, describing it as too short for mother. “For CS you need about eight weeks to feel better, and then another four weeks to breathe, and then you have to resume your office work. Right now, at eight weeks, you’re better, but you’re not fully healed,” she explained.

She also pointed to medical recommendations that encourage exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life. “We are also told you have to breastfeed your baby exclusively for six months. So it means the mother should be the one to experience all this with their child, not having to leave them at any particular point, right?” she said.

Ng’ang’a proposed a simple solution: amend the current law to extend maternity leave to six months. “What am I proposing if I was in Parliament? This is a bill that I could propose. We amend what we currently have from three months and make it six months,” she stated.

She acknowledged that some companies have already taken the lead by offering more than three months to their employees, calling this a fantastic development. She also noted that changes in the workplace make extended leave more feasible than before.

“We can’t ignore that work has really changed. The way we work has really changed. So we’re able to work remote. You’re able to work hybrid.”