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{
    "id": 1061597,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1061597/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 109,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "We all want to participate in the measures to control the spread of this virus. However, we need to be brought to speed and knowledge on the steps being taken. A close down and a suspension of sittings is not in itself a measure that is good enough to control. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I did not know that Parliament was involved in arriving at the decision. I am happy to learn that you were because many of us were very surprised that there was a direction from the Executive on how Parliament should operate. If you were involved, that allays our fears of possible emasculation of the Houses of Parliament. I cannot see the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Health here, but I believe that this and whatever we say here through the Senate Majority Leader can reach the Executive. We have closed down five counties. What else are we doing apart from closing down? One would have expected then that the Government would carry out massive compulsory testing and vaccinations of residents of these counties as a positive measure in controlling the spread of this virus. When we close down Nairobi, Nakuru, Kiambu, Machakos and Kajiado, we literally have locked in about 10 million Kenyans if not slightly more. What next after that? We were given a clarification that within these five counties, you can move from Machakos to Kiambu through Nairobi or wherever without any hindrance. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it means we have zoned off an area then created a situation for rapid spread. If these are the areas that are most affected and we are not quarantining people to stay where they are, I will move from where I live in Karen to Sen. (Dr.) Mwaura’s Ruiru and spread the virus if I have it and vice versa. This is not helpful. I want to urge you, as the titular Head of this House to reach out to the Executive and find out whether there are measures to mass test everybody, to vaccinate everybody and, more important, eateries have been closed and the presumption is that people will eat from their homes. However, there are people whose livelihoods are dependent on running these small businesses called eateries. There was a fund to support COVID-19 victims in terms of economic terms. I heard a Bishop who was addressing the President and the nation yesterday saying that a woman called Mwihaki told him that she was running a small eatery that is now closed. Her husband who was living on her has run away. She has a child. She has no job. She cannot live. There are so many Mwihaki’s in these five counties. How are they going to survive? The young single mothers who serve in restaurants, bars, and hotels, how are they going to feed their families? Landlords in this country are very ruthless. No landlord will listen to any tenant; that because of the close down, you will not pay your rent. They will evict them. There are even crude landlords who will go and remove doors from the houses and put padlocks that nobody can open. We must have measures put in place. I want to urge the President, just as his measures may be well founded, and in good faith, a lot more must be done. My friend, the Senate Majority Leader, who represents the Executive in this House must tell us in very clear terms, what else we are doing apart from closure, so that we can help Kenyans. Thank you."
}