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"id": 1062738,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Suba South, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. John Mbadi",
"speaker": {
"id": 110,
"legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
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"content": "to change with a minute the time of sitting of this House. That should go out very clearly to the Office of the President and the communication’s department. They must know that this Parliament is independent and regulates itself. As we sit here, I want to remove that thinking that the President gave a directive. He could request or advise, but that ends there. So, what we are dealing with today is that this House is making a decision whether we need to adjourn or suspend our sittings between this Thursday, 1st April to Thursday, 29th April 2021. Hon. Speaker, having considered some factors I support and I want to second this Motion. Firstly, we were meant to go for some short recess which we did not. We only went for one day. As much as we work, we also need some rest. There is need for some recess even if not for the five weeks, but we need a recess. Again, we were meant to go on recess at the end of April to May. Now we can bring it forward and have the recess. Reports coming from the leadership of this Parliament is that a good number of our Members have been affected. That is true and factual. Some are actually fighting for their lives. We cannot just disclose names of Members of Parliament. It is true and there is no shame about this disease really. We must know that we are not isolated. We are not immune. We are not ring-fenced from the disease. It can hit us. It can strike. We need to be careful. Even as we accept to adjourn, I want to remind Members that in the next Motion, we are going to make it very clear that committees of this Parliament will continue sitting even though virtually, but Members are asked to sit in our offices because some Members conduct committee business in public barazas . You find some Members making contributions and some children talking in the background. So, we are being very clear that Members should try as much as possible to be in their offices and if you are not going to be available in your office, please, ask for permission from your Chair that you will be meeting virtually from a different location so that we are clear that Members are still going to transact business. There should be smooth movement of Members from their constituencies to Parliament building, their offices and where they are going to hold meetings every week, as it is planned by the committee chairs and leadership. Hon. Speaker, something else that I wanted to talk about is that even though we are going on recess, the President has talked about the rising causes of COVID-19, but he needs now to address Kenyans clearly and tell us what the programme for vaccination is. We have a responsibility to seek for accountability. We have to ask how those 1.2 million jabs are going to be administered. Secondly, are we getting more vaccines? Without vaccination, it appears this disease is going to be with us for long. Truth be told, this country and this economy cannot afford another lockdown. It is impossible. It is impractical and am telling you if we go that route, we will not have an economy to talk about. Those of us who are interacting with county governments and those of us who have seen how the Government has been performing know that we are barely surviving as a nation. It is not possible to imagine another lockdown. Therefore, we need to use all avenues available to avoid a lockdown. The best is to have as many Kenyans as possible vaccinated. I know some of our colleagues here who have been offered an opportunity to be vaccinated, but they are cowards. You talk to them and they tell you they want to see how it works. In fact, one of my friends - I do not want to mention his name, who is behind me here - told me that he will not be vaccinated because he wants to see how I am responding. I want to tell him that it is exactly one week today since I was vaccinated. I have not even felt any pain in my arm. Maybe it is because some of us ate the traditional vegetable called “ apoth ” that has made our bodies very strong. I have not even felt any headache, fever, fatigue or pain in my arm. So, please, go for the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}