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{
    "id": 1028543,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1028543/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 208,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Murang’a CWR, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Sabina Chege",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 884,
        "legal_name": "Sabina Wanjiru Chege",
        "slug": "sabina-wanjiru-chege"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I just want to support my colleagues here on the issue of testing. You asked Hon. Koros to suggest how many times. I suggest once we come back from the long recess. It is important for Members to be tested. I encourage my colleagues as the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Health. It would be important if Members would disclose if they have tested positive for Covid-19. This will fight the stigma that was initially there. It would be unfair if somebody tests positive for Covid-19 and interacts with colleagues who do not know, just because they feel that they are going to have stigma. Where we are with Covid-19, we have seen prime ministers and other senior government officials in other countries coming out to say they have Covid-19. This is not a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD). It is airborne; it is a virus! There is nothing to hide about. The worst part is that, every time we go to the weekends, we are interacting with our people and we are going to churches. I have attended a funeral of a principal who initially, it was not disclosed that the person had Covid-19. The family is now infected. It is important not only for Members of Parliament! I want to encourage the public, if anyone tests positive, just share that information with people. By now, almost all of us know somebody who has been affected or a family that has been affected by Covid-19. It is no longer a fallacy where people were saying Covid-19 is not real. It is real and it is here with us. The only way we can protect each other and ourselves is coming out fully and disclosing our status even as Members of Parliament. I know some of my colleagues – some of whom I serve in the same committee - say they were in hospital for about 42 days. If they can come out and speak, I am sure other members of the society like the clergy or principles, will also come out and speak about it. It is not right when we try to hide. I have said Covid-19 is real. Let us not shy away from it. It is not anybody’s mistake and that is why I used the example of STDs. I do not know whether it is a mistake or not when people engage in sex, but all I want to say is that, Covid-19 is airborne and anybody can get it. You can get it; I can get it. Let us come out and support one another, say our status so that we can encourage the public to do the same and together we can fight it. I thank you."
}