Gladys Wanga: Chinese workers are impregnating, abandoning local women

Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga wants men to keep their wives away from the Chinese constructing a road in the county.

Since the Chinese started building the road, many of the workers have been accused of having sexual relations with local women. Some of the local women have ended up getting pregnant, but the Chinese workers leave them together with the babies. Today, there are many local women who are single-handedly raising half-Asian babies. "Give the Chinese everything but not your women. If you don't take care, we will have children with small eyes. Just on a light note," Wanga said.

The Nairobian held conversations with locals who said the Chinese constructors work on the roads during the day and visit the villages at night in search of women.

Samuel Owida, an opinion leader in Homa Bay, says the Chinese workers lure the women into sexual relations easily because they have money.

Sexual relationships require effective communication. Many have questioned how the Chinese communicate with the local women. However, Owida says the language barrier is still a hurdle since the Chinese men neither speak English nor Kiswahili.

But their financial abilities far outweigh their inability to easily communicate with the women. "The relationships still happen." Owida said money is a huge factor in convincing the local women into sexual relations.

"The consequences of such relationships have been proven in some parts of the county where the children are born with Chinese features." Ouma Wachara, a resident of Rangwe, said the Chinese speak to the women using signs.

Rangwe is one of the constituencies where the Chinese constructed the Oyugis-Rodi Kopany, Yimbo-Olare and Asumbi-Suneka roads.

"The sign language is complemented with the money they carry in bundles. It makes it easier for the local women to fall in love with them," he said, adding that the high cost of living is to blame for the women's actions.

Wanga made the comments at Adiedo trading centre, Kanyaluo ward in Karachuonyo constituency, when she and area MP Adipo Okuome launched the construction of the 18km Adiedo-Karabok Road. The Sh1 billion road will be constructed to bitumen standard and will cover Karachuonyo and Kasipul constituencies. It will be undertaken by Chinese firm China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

In her speech, Wanga told residents to co-operate with the contractor to enable him to complete the work within the stipulated two years. "I want residents of Karachuonyo and Kasipul constituencies to give the contractor the support he requires to enable him to work efficiently," Wanga said.

However, she told the residents not to give them their wives or daughters.

She warned that if locals lower their guard, soon there would be numerous half-Asian babies in the area with nobody to support them because the contractors would have left. The woman rep, who is also eyeing the county governor post, urged the residents to embrace such development projects that spur economic growth.

"What we yearn for is county development. That is why I pushed for this project through the Finance Committee which I chair in the National Assembly," she said. Chinese workers have constructed several roads in Nyanza region. They recently constructed the Ahero-Isibania road which passes through Kisumu, Homa Bay, Kisii and Migori counties.