Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1082883,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1082883/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 122,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Endebess, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1458,
        "legal_name": "Robert Pukose",
        "slug": "robert-pukose"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. On 2nd May 2019, my Bill on the Kenya Food and Drugs Authority was committed to the Departmental Committee on Health. You have given, on several occasions, direction that this Bill needs to be debated in the House. I am asking for your direction because it has taken very long. This is the Year 2021. When a Bill is almost two years in the hands of a Committee, it is not right. It should have been dispensed with. This is a very important Bill. It seeks to establish the Kenya Food and Drugs Authority and transform the Pharmacy and Poisons Board into a national Authority, especially now that we have issues of COVID-19. When dealing with issues of COVID-19, we also need to deal with pharmacovigilance, that is, approval of drugs and vaccines in the country. As it is today, our health is at risk. Who gives the direction on any of the vaccines in this country? When you refer the matter to the Ministry of Health, it will not stand as an authority to determine that. The same goes for approvals. That is why we are having a lot of challenges. It is high time this House dispensed with this Bill so that we can have a direction like other countries in the region. Just for your information, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania have an operational National Drugs Authority. Why is it that in Kenya we cannot move forward? My prayer to you, Hon. Speaker, is that you give direction on this matter of the Kenya Food and Drugs Authority, so that we can dispense with the Bill."
}