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{
    "id": 992670,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/992670/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 647,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ochillo-Ayako",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 347,
        "legal_name": "Ochilo George Mbogo Ayacko",
        "slug": "ochilo-ayacko"
    },
    "content": "solution. There are clauses that obligate landlords to discuss with their tenants how to deal with the economic hardships that arise from this situation. They do not provide a solution as to what happens when there is a disagreement. So, those clauses could be used to create unending disputes. In such situations, disputes are not necessary. The way to go is to ensure that since it is the Government that is obligated to cushion the vulnerable members of society, that obligation of cushioning tenants and assisting other people should squarely fall on the resources that are available to the public. Most landlords and investors have other financial obligations, including to employees. This piece of legislation indicates that they must pay them and not deal with them adversely. The same Bill says that you should not be hard on those who owe it to you. This contradicts that the situation is untenable and may create unending conflict. So, this obligation should be transferred to where it belongs which is the Government. If it is fiscal relief, the Government should offer it. If it is direct payment to vulnerable people, the Government should offer it. We should not discriminate against people who from perception are well endowed to reward people who, from perception, are doing badly. Let us be fair to everybody. We should not punish people who seem to have more resources and reward those who do not have. This COVID-19 affects everybody. Let us be generous. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, lastly, if you look at the proposed Bill, you will find that there is little role given to counties, their executives and assemblies. These are constitutional institutions and public entities that are available to the nation to help fight and handle this pandemic. So, the Bill must be recrafted or enriched in such a manner that it gives specific positive roles to county governments. County governments are governments that are engaging, hiring and resourcing the first responders, particularly in areas of health, both public and curative health. If their role is not defined in this kind of legislation, then it is like having very important players in a football match, but you do not want to field them and instead, you limit yourself to a certain number of available players and that will not allow you to realize your full potential. It is important for this piece of legislation to give specific roles and utilize the presence of county governments and county assemblies. You get reports from county assemblies of people who are having tea that is valued at Kshs4 million and having airtime when others are being asked to buy masks. You see, you are having tea, you do not even have Coronavirus, but another person is being asked to buy masks. So, the county governments are also having public money. If the assemblies are not brought on board, I can assure you that the county governments will misuse the funds and by the time we discover, it will be very difficult; it will be another story that Sen. Kajwang’ ably mentioned that if you are dealing with audit as a postmortem, you are just chasing things that are not there. You cannot easily restore lost property from the public. It is important to make both the county assemblies and the county executive function so that although pandemics like COVID-19 will be ravaging the nation, we have all our available institutions working together towards defeating this very dangerous ghost. 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."
}