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{
    "id": 1567538,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1567538/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 20,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Okiya Omtatah",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, pursuant to Standing Order No.232(1)(b), I hereby present a Petition to the Senate concerning the propagation and commercialization of new generation (Muthea) Antivenom in Kenya. As you are aware under Article 119(1) of the Constitution- “Every person has a right to petition Parliament to consider any matter within its authority, including to enact, amend or repeal any legislation.” The salient issues raised in the petition are as follows- THAT the petitioners are citizens of Kenya living in Machakos County. For the past five years, they have been developing a new generation antivenom derived from a chemically synthesized version of the traditional Muthea Antivenom. THAT the petitioner's innovation was inspired by a snake bite death of a neighbour at Machakos Level 5 Hospital and further motivated by the 2019 Ministry of Health Policy document on snake bites, which led them to formalize and register their Antivenom with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB). THAT although their snake bite treatment initiative is lawful and has demonstrated preclinical efficacy, the petitioner's efforts to further research, innovate and commercialize the Antivenom have faced persistent obstruction and sabotage from individuals within key public health institutions. THAT the Antivenom, which is based on a formulation that has been used effectively for over 100 years, with zero death outcomes in areas such as Machakos and Kwale, has not been recognized or supported under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) framework. THAT the petitioners have experienced multiple forms of administrative abuse, including being unlawfully required to pay Kshs100,000 to obtain a nondisclosure agreement, having their intellectual property rights violated through unauthorized experiments and being denied formal partnership opportunities despite proven efficacy of their products. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}