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{
    "id": 984621,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/984621/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 407,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "of Jurists (ICJ), the International Budget Partnership (IBP), the Institute for Social Accountability (TISA) and health NGOs that are spread across the country. Also, among these submissions are Kenyans who had travelled to India for medical treatment and have been stuck there due to restrictions. Some took their families; they have been stuck there and cannot afford to come back. There are also Kenyan students in universities abroad who were scheduled to graduate in summer, but their studies have since been disrupted. Additionally, are also Kenyans who had travelled to attend to family matters. I would like to report that the Committee has written to and is engaging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that these categories of Kenyans are urgently attended to. I want to thank Kenyans because it is in a crisis like this that we realise that Kenyans of all walks of life; from the private sector, in business, those doing their own things, indeed, take these invitations seriously. They have a lot to say and contribute. We have received tremendous submissions from the people of this country. I want to thank them and tell them that their submissions have been taken into consideration. Mr. Speaker, Sir, after that we went through an in depth analysis and we have reviewed the best practice from comparative jurisdictions and considered those submissions. We have analyzed what more than 20 different countries and their Parliaments have been able to do during this time. I am glad to report that we have already come up with a Bill, the Pandemic Response and Management Bill, which is annexed to this report. It has gone for publishing, but we want to give it to the people of Kenya to look at it. The Bill addresses, among others, the declaration of a pandemic, the roles of national and county governments, the establishment, composition and functions of a national and county response committee, reporting by the said committees to Parliament and county assemblies, establishment and management of a pandemic fund among others. Notably, the Bill proposes measures to be taken in cushioning the public from the adverse effects of a pandemic, including granting of relief on the cost of food, water and basic commodities as well as provisions that speak to tenancy agreements. We have many issues on rent and landlord agreements and contracts that cushions both the landlord and the tenant. The Committee wants to invite submissions and comments from Senators. Once you have seen the reports, we invite you to give us views on the Bill and our Report; as well as the stakeholders and members of the public. We will be publishing the Bill on the Parliament website so that stakeholders can enrich this process and we can move on together. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are now scheduled, as a Committee, to hold meetings with key organs and ministries of the national and county governments. This afternoon, we were scheduled to hold a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and the Chairperson of the National Emergency Response Committee on Coronavirus. Unfortunately, the meeting that was at 2.00 p.m. could not take off because the Cabinet Secretary said he was held up in State House. He had sent his Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) and the Permanent Secretary (PS). However, we told him that Article 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."
}