Fridah Archie sabi wetin e mean to be a working mama for Kenya. She fit even tell you as she struggle balance the heavy work wey dey come with new pikin and her job for the first few months after she resume work after childbirth.

For six months after each of her two sons dem born, Fridah go dey run house from work every few hours to breastfeed, then she go rush back to her desk. Sometimes her body near give up to dey follow that kind tough schedule.

"If na only I get one place for work wey dem fit look after my pikin, e for don easy," she tell TRT Afrika.

Plenty mamas wey dey suffer like Fridah welcome the William Ruto government decision to begin nationwide crackdown this month against public institutions wey no implement law wey say dem must set up childcare centres, or crèches, for female workers.

The announcement come as relief for mamas wey dey leave their small pikin for house, many times without anybody to help, when dem dey go work.

Basic right

Kenya ministry of health don make am clear say crèches for workplaces wey employ women no be optional again.

The enforcement order dey target workplaces, including schools and civil service offices, wey never provide safe and reliable childcare facilities even though law don already mandate am.

For the public sector, poor implementation of this part of the maternity laws don make working mamas dey juggle impossible schedules, dey give dem and their children stress and dey cause operational wahala.

Mary Muthoni, principal secretary for the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, talk for her year-end address last December say too many institutions don dey treat the law like suggestion instead of obligation.

"That idea wrong. This law no be optional," Muthoni talk. "From January, we go implement am full ground to protect working mamas and their children."

The Kenya Health Act, 2017, dey mandate childcare centres for all institutions as part of bigger plan to enforce one unified health system, make the constitutional right to health work, and coordinate responsibilities between national and county governments.

"Every company and public institution for this country must establish a childcare centre," Muthoni talk. "Na wetin the law talk."

Workplace absenteeism

Research from the International Labour Organisation and the International Finance Corporation show say inadequate childcare dey significantly affect how many women dey participate for the workforce.

Because women dey spend more time for unpaid care work pass men, e dey limit their access to employment, education and career progression.

The studies still show say workplace childcare facilities, like breastfeeding rooms and daycare centres, dey linked with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding and better retention of young mamas for companies and other organisations.

If these services no dey, absenteeism among new mamas high across sectors. As productivity fall, the chance say dem go lose job dey increase, because female workers dey struggle manage childcare and work at the same time.

Fridah hope say the new enforcement initiative go extend beyond the public sector.

"I wish government go follow up to make sure the law dey implemented for non-government offices," she tell TRT Afrika.

Muthoni don confirm say the law apply universally, cover both public and private institutions.

Regional precedent

Even though implementation of workplace childcare policies dey patchy across East Africa, most countries dey look to strengthen their legislation.

For Uganda, the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2022 dey propose concessions and facilities for childcare and breastfeeding requirements. The legislation dey wait presidential approval.

Tanzania labour laws dey give concessions to young parents but dem no explicitly mandate childcare services like Kenya do.

Rwanda don expand early-childhood development centres and 'mothers' rooms' through private-sector programmes instead of by legal obligation.

For sub-Saharan Africa, no country yet dey require employers to build or run childcare facilities across all workplaces.

This one fit make Kenya's enforcement initiative be groundbreaking move for the whole region. Campaigners believe say the initiative go set benchmark for gender-sensitive workplace policies, and show say legal commitments to working mamas need real infrastructure and proper oversight.