The local Kenyan dailies published a submission of memoranda by the Kenyan National Assembly.  In this advertisement, the Members of Parliament are suggesting several amendments to different Acts.  One suggested amendment is to the Sexual Offences Act that seeks to reduce consensual age with regards to the offence of defilement from eighteen to sixteen years.  The Penal Code caps the age at 16 years but since the Sexual Offences Act was made law, it overrides the Penal Code.

Reducing or lowering the age will increase early child marriages in Kenya; will result to increased rape or sexual assault cases in Kenya; will increase teenage pregnancies; will definitely have a negative effect on efforts around reducing new HIV infections especially among adolescent girls; and will negatively affect the full potential of the girl child.

Signing of this petition will stop the Members of Parliament from making this amendment and hopefully maintain the current consensual age to 18 years.