Media personality Oga Obinna / InstagramMedia personality Oga Obinna has sparked debate after proposing a law that would punish women who falsely tell men they are the biological fathers of their children.
In a video shared on Instagram, Obinna proposed that a woman who knowingly misleads a man into believing he fathered a child should be required to repay all the money he spent raising the child if a DNA test later establishes that he is not the biological father.
He said the funds should include expenses incurred while the man believed he was supporting his biological child.
“You pay back all the money that he has ever invested in the child, be it school fees, medical, diapers; you pay it all back,” he suggested.
Obinna further proposed that where a woman is unable to repay the money, she should face imprisonment.
He suggested a minimum jail term of five years for such cases.
“New law! Men will agree, women won’t,” read text accompanying the video.
The proposal has since elicited mixed reactions from Kenyans on Instagram, with some users supporting the idea while others questioned its possible impact, especially on children.
Some users used the discussion to call for DNA testing to be made routine.
“Let’s make DNA mandatory,” Gabriel Maingi wrote, with Mummie Francie suggesting incorporating it into maternity services.
However, other users shifted to the wider question of responsibility when paternity is disputed.
For some commenters, the issue was about ensuring that men do not shoulder years of expenses for children they later discover are not biologically theirs.
"As a woman I agree, juu mbona upee mtu mwingine responsibility,” Lily Amour2 posted while backing the proposal.
Martin Teshh echoed the sentiment, writing, “I agree. 100%. Kila mtu abebe mzigo yake.” Big Stepper also gave the proposal his full backing.
But the prospect of criminal penalties raised concerns about children who could find themselves at the centre of disputes between adults.
Sitati the Manager questioned the approach, warning, “Noo. Watoto watateseka maze.”
The conversation also touched on Obinna’s separate proposal concerning false accusations against men.
He argued that women who deliberately make false claims of sexual abuse or gender-based violence should face the same punishment that the accused man would have faced if convicted.
That suggestion appeared to find support among some commenters, with one user responding, “But hio ya pili iko sawa.”
The reactions therefore ranged from calls for greater accountability to concerns over how proposed punishments could affect children and other people caught up in such disputes.
