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{
    "id": 991912,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/991912/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 217,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kasanga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13185,
        "legal_name": "Sylvia Mueni Kasanga",
        "slug": "sylvia-mueni-kasanga"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the same breath as it is happening at the national level, the county governments are required to collaborate with and compliment the efforts of the national Government in responding to a pandemic. We have already seen some of these activities happening in some of the counties, but we are putting it here in the Bill. To facilitate this, the Bill proposes a framework for the establishment of the County Pandemic Response Committee in each county. Similar to the committee at the national level, these committees shall be Ad Hoc committees established by the county governor, in order to implement the strategies that have been rolled out at the national level and to also promote civic education. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as you have seen, COVID-19 already has so much stigma to it. The stigma adds to the challenge in dealing with it. Civic education becomes very critical and it is a function at the county government. The details of the functions of the county committees are listed under Clause 15 of the Bill. It is also proposed that the county committee shall be chaired by the County Executive Committee responsible for health and the membership shall include county commissioners and other county public officers that may be necessary. Just like the national committee, the committee may co-opt experts where necessary. The county committees mimic the committee at the national level and various aspects required during the pandemic, to submit reports to the relevant county assemblies ever so often as at national level, which is two weeks. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Bill proposes The Pandemic Response Fund. This has received quite a bit of interest from our stakeholders and interested persons who have submitted. It is an area which, as a committee, we are still looking at critically, but there cannot be no fund for many reasons. The Bill proposes the establishment of the fund whenever a declaration of a pandemic is done. The fund would serve as a pool of resources for ensuring that there are adequate resources towards the spread and the mitigation against the impact of the pandemic. The fund is to be administered by the Principal Secretary responsible for matters relating to finance. It is expected to be wound up two months when the pandemic is declared to have ended. This is under Clause 20 of the Bill. Under socio-economic protection, the Bill proposes temporary relief measures to those who are adversely affected by the pandemic. This is an area that has also created a lot of interest from citizens and stakeholders and Members of Parliament (MPs) alike."
}