[Photo/Courtesy]
High Court judge, Hon Justice Aggrey Muchelule has issued a warning to absentee fathers saying that the law does not allow them to abscond their child protection duties.
This came when a man accused of neglecting his child moved to court to block a Magistrate's court order that he should pay for maintenance for his daughter.
He had argued that he could not afford it.
In the case, the man named FGW was required to pay Sh100,000 in school fees, Sh70,000 house rent and a medical nsurance cover that totalled to Sh1.1 million.
"The provision of the child's education, medical care and shelter is a statutory and constitutional responsibility of the appellant ( FGW) from which he cannot escape. If the provision is suspended by order of stay, it will mean the child does not go to school, has no medical care and has no shelter," Justice Muchelule ruled as quoted by the Standard.
The judge added that marriage is not a pre-condition for child protection.