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{
"id": 983717,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/983717/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Orengo",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 129,
"legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
"slug": "james-orengo"
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"content": "The world is reacting positively. For example, a great Chinese investor has given donations of equipment to all the African countries. They should first of all go to the health workers. When you board a plane and are taken through the security protocol, you are told that before you mind your child, you tie your safety belt first before you can tie the one of you minor sitting next to you. Equally, something should be done to the health workers, to make sure that they are prepared and have the right equipment. The same thing happened with many doctors who sacrificed in dealing with a plague or pandemic like Ebola. Some of them paid with their lives. I believe that there is no sufficient testing taking place in Kenya. In South Korea, cases are up because testing is almost universal in every workplace and churches. I did not know that there are many churches in South Korea, but this pandemic has brought out the fact that there are actually many of them. Some of the churches have been responsible for the spread of the pandemic in South Korea. So far, the Government is doing its best in giving the public information and regular updates. However, when you go down to the counties, the same kind of initiative is not being reflected, except one or two who have made statements that are commendable. At a personal level, we have to be very careful. You have seen in certain instances where heads of government and heads of states have to practice social distance; separated from their families and live in isolation. It is the right decision to make. If you look at what has happened in Iran, UK’s House of Commons, and in the US, Parliaments are not immune. In fact, the highest number of cases reported in Parliaments as I speak now is Iran, and it may catch up with us. Therefore, I think the 30 days will give us time to take stock of what is happening in the country. Among ourselves, we have to practice social distance to make sure that when we reconvene, each one of us will have gone through testing and so on. However, as the Senate Majority Leader said, we hope that the Government, as it deals with the pandemic, will make interventions to make sure that the economy is not brought down. Some interventions must be made to make the lives of citizens not as difficult as it is being experienced in some areas. I hope interventions will be made because it is not just not a health disaster or emergency, but the economy and learning will be affected. All spheres of life have been affected. However, we should not spread fear and life should continue. We should continue to work hard and make sure that during this period we do not crush. We have stopped gatherings, funerals, churches, and even the Building Bridges Initiative rallies (BBI). However, reggae has not stopped. You know where the reggae music is found; it has not stopped. But harambees have definitely stopped. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I think we should be ready at any moment, as has been recognised in the Motion. Parliament should be recalled any time, especially during a time when there is an emergency. In the context of our Constitution, Parliament has a role throughout even if it is war time."
}