NAIROBI: Kenya’s lawmakers have approved legislation which will make it mandatory for employers to provide breastfeeding centers for nursing mothers in the workplace, sources said.

The provision is part of 2015 Health Bill which has now been sent to President Uhuru Kenyatta for his assent.

It requires employers to provide all the necessary facilities, including electric outlets for breast pumps, refrigerators and appropriate cooling facilities, the BBC said.

Nursing mothers should also be allowed to take breaks to breastfeed their babies during working hours, the clause added, Standard reports.

According to the BBC, a similar clause was thrown out eight years ago after some employers threatened to stop hiring young women.

The effect of the clause, according to lawmakers, is to allow mothers to bring up healthy babies by allowing them greater periods to breastfeed.

Lack of such facilities has meant that mothers leave their children at home and only breastfeed them after work.

Most mothers opt to reduce the breastfeeding period for their babies, in what health experts warn places the health of their babies at risk.