I ask for sex all the time - Male MP

After Taita Taveta Women Rep Joyce Wanjala Lay made headlines for allegedly telling off a male colleague who had made sexual advances at her,  colleagues in the House taunted her, while others praised her for her bold decision.

A male member of the ruling Jubilee coalition was heard telling all and sundry in the corridors of the House that it was "normal" for men to seek sexual favours from women, and that being turned down by a woman is not such a big deal.

"I ask for sex all the time. I don't get it every time. Sometimes women refuse. In some cultures, I know men have to either beat up women or abuse them before they agree to sleep with them. I don't understand what the fuss is all about," the vocal lawmaker was overheard saying.

That was also the feeling when Minority Leader in the National Assembly, Francis Nyenze, chipped in with a word of advice:

"While I do not try to cover up for the Member of Parliament, surely, there has to be standards. If you are a married person, you have to respect yourself. You do not have to stay out with another man until past midnight and say that you were being raped," said Nyenze.

Women MPs did not take it kindly. Zainab Chidzuga (Kwale) and Florence Kajuju (Meru) said Nyenze had no business trying to set the moral code for women. They told him that he should know that men are also required to be responsible.

Joyce fought off the dismissive sentiments: "Women are asked to speak out, but instead they suffer in silence and any time we speak out, we are victimised" she told MPs in the House.

The Taita Taveta rep added that, "When I reported to the Committee, there were complaints, with some asking why I had to protest so bitterly. This is despite the fact that I know there is a law that we have to go through certain stages until we get to the point where, if it is not handled by the Committee, then it can be taken further. It was not my intention to take it to the media."

The committee was meant to investigate the matter but there has been no official movement towards investigation.

Joyce further complained that some of the MPs leaked her ordeal in the Tokyo hotel to the press.

"We passed the Victim Protection Bill, which means I am supposed to decide on what action to take if I am a victim. I am the one who is at liberty to decide whether to report to the police or to media. So, whoever took it to the media was malicious," she claimed.

The MP then went ahead and slammed newspapers for using a sexy picture of her in a sleeveless dress.

"You saw the photo that they used with their headlines. That is not my official photo. That is not how I dress when I come to Parliament," said Joyce.

-ALPHONCE SHIUNDU