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{
    "id": 1031832,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1031832/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 124,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Poghisio",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 202,
        "legal_name": "Samuel Losuron Poghisio",
        "slug": "samuel-poghisio"
    },
    "content": "shut down of learning institutions, a ban on public and social gatherings, restrictions in the number of passengers and a cut off in terms of international flights. We closed our borders. Our health institutions had issues and we could not handle this pandemic. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is unfair and unfortunate that during this time of COVID-19, we lost a very huge number of people; the country lost over 1,200 people. We have had to adjust quite a bit. Every day, we hear of very big numbers of losses. The President's Address committed so many pages on this issue of the pandemic before moving to other issues. All I can say is that we, as Members of the Senate, can take the lead because we represent counties and we are defenders of devolution, to make it very clear to our people that this pandemic is so serious. I was pleased to hear today Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. saying that some of the things that we do in public gatherings, like feeding of people and so on, we may need to curtail them. Some of those very basic things that we do normally are no longer normal and we should not take them normally. I think we should just be able to reduce the number of public appearances and meetings. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we must not, and these are the words of the President, the President says, “We must not succumb to COVID-19 fatigue. We must not backtrack from our vigilant fight against this pandemic. On our part as leaders, our stamina for discipline must not diminish.” These are the words of the President to show how serious the matter is and how we as leaders must know the way, go the way and show the way. I think we can do it within our counties. Let me not dwell so much on a matter that is so serious and yet I know that colleagues will dwell on that matter for long. What is important is that this Address that the President gave us on Thursday has been divided into sections. In each section, there is a report that has been laid on the Table of the Senate today. I hope that Members will have an opportunity to look at those Reports that we have laid on the Table today. These reports include, apart from the Address itself, an annual report on the measures taken and the progress achieved in the realization of national values and principles of governance. This is one area where I would hope that our governors would have a look and take seriously the issue of governance. We are losing people to this pandemic and many other misfortunes because of problem of governance within our counties. As the Senate is holding the governors and counties to account, we must focus on that particular report on the measures taken and progress achieved in not only realizing our national values but also principles of governance. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the other reports that were tabled include; the report on the progress made in fulfilling international obligations by the Government of Kenya and the state of national security. All those reports put together are an obligation under the law for the President to point out. I would like to summarize that we have begun a journey under very difficult circumstances in our economy. It has become very difficult even for us in our security that we must begin to think about how we, as Kenyans, have shared national values. We do not have one school that teaches us how to become Kenyan but these conditions have brought us together."
}