HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 983678,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/983678/?format=api",
"text_counter": 43,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 440,
"legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
"slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
},
"content": "are posed by different kinds of things, whether because of environmental changes or matters relating to health. So, it is inevitable for those of us who have been given the responsibility of leadership to take steps to preserve and protect fellow human beings. Just to mention the question of interconnectedness of human beings, there is an application that shows how aeroplanes move. There is someone who took a picture of that application that shows how Coronavirus is moving; it is transported by human beings moving from one continent to the other. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as the Senate, we must rise to the occasion to become part of the solution. We must protect and curtail the movement of this virus from one person to another. The Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Health banned public meetings pursuant to The Public Health Act. He said that we should discourage a gathering of 50 people or above. This House is a gathering of 68 Senators and the number could go up to 70 or 80, at any given time if we include staff who serve the House. So, we need to ponder how best we can respond to this virus. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Senate Business Committee (SBC) sat under your leadership and a decision was made that we take a break for one month, so that we put in place mechanisms to ensure that when we come back, we deal with this challenge. For example, how we will operate and relate as Senators. Since this disease has hit this country, there has been a lot of panic, fear and questions. I thank His Excellency the President for taking a bold step to prevent visitors from countries that are severely affected from visiting the country. I also thank him for closing schools; that was a bold decision. Some people would have said we wait. However, it was my considered opinion to close the gates of this country and schools from the start to plan how we will react. For example, train the teachers and managers of various institutions on how we will handle this issue. I am glad that a decision was taken. However, the discovery of that disease in this country is not without consequences. There will be severe economic impact. There was an article on The New York Times on 16th March, 2019 which was titled “ Coronavirus deepens inequality; Inequality worsens with its spread ”. The author says that economic inequality may be acting as a multiplier agent on the spread of Coronavirus and its deadliness. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are a struggling economy and a developing country, which is working hard to deal with our economy. In the United States of America (USA), the President is promising to take care of the needy. When there was a lockdown in many of the cities in China, especially in Wuhan Province, there was a lot of effort to ensure that streets were sprayed and people disinfected. A lot of resources were spent to deal with it. So, if we do not prevent this issue, how best will we deal with economic inequalities in this country? We must think of what will happen to people who live on daily income in Kibra. They look for jobs in Industrial Area, and if they do not get a job that day, they will not have a meal. What will happen to people in Mathare, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Mukuru kwa Kayaba, Kawangware and Kangemi Slums? Mr. Speaker, Sir, if we do not contain this disease in Nairobi, the spread will be worse in other parts of the country. I hope that the County Government of Nairobi, the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}