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{
    "id": 1062727,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1062727/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 377,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": "pandemic. We closed this Chamber. We reduced the size of the sitting to not more than 60 people. We opened lobbies and tents to split the people. We closed all the facilities and had virtual meetings. It is because of that that we were able to contain what would have been a catastrophic situation. We have done it before and we can do it again, especially faced with this new third wave which is hitting harder and faster than the previous ones. I want to urge you that even as we start thinking of what we need to do as a House, we should not only do it to protect ourselves, but to also show leadership even to the other arms of government. I also want to confirm to Members that regardless of what the issues are about Public Order No. 2, we were going to meet today, anyway, as the House Business Committee to consider what happens based on the science and the information that we have been given. Therefore, let us appreciate what is happening elsewhere. If you look at the House of Lords, you will realise that they do not actually meet. They are meeting on a hybrid basis: a mix of in-person with huge social distance - six seats between members - and virtual sittings. In the House of Commons, again, there is social distance for Members able to attend Parliament. The others meet on a remote basis. They only have meetings to consider very urgent business and because of that they have also extended their sitting time until midnight. If you look at South Africa, during the first wave, they made a very difficult decision of suspending operations of Parliament. It was closed to the public until further notice and arrangements were made to reduce the number of staff on the parliamentary precincts. Now, we do not want to do that. What we are proposing to do is that after meeting in House Business Committee... This Session was supposed to go until the end of April and then on 7th May we were to take a break until 7th June - the long recess. That was to happen under normal circumstances. Therefore, because of the peculiar circumstances we are dealing with, faced with this danger, it makes more sense to bring forward the long recess. Therefore, we take it now then we come back when we should have been going for recess to transact the business that would be before us and within a safe environment."
}