Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 992821,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/992821/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 97,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherargei",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "European Union (EU) and other trade unions across the world, including the World Bank, coming up with various measures to ensure that the ordinary wananchi and the business people are protected and cushioned. Therefore, I think it is right that we put in place necessary mechanisms to protect our businesses, especially small enterprise businesses; for instance, the mama mbogas . I agree that counties should also come up with innovative ways of giving tax waivers, levy waivers, fee waivers and tax relief measures to the small businesses, especially to mamambogas and people who do small businesses within our counties. The matatu sector that our colleagues have alluded to is also suffering. This is because they have reduced the number of passengers they carry. The matatu sector is one of the sectors that is vibrant, even to the level of boda boda drivers. Boda boda drivers could carry two passengers, but right now, they are not allowed because of keeping social distance. Most of them are struggling to pay loans. You have to appreciate that we need policy interventions. This is because the banks and the finance sector have agreed that they will review or do something about the loans. We must agree that they should be a process on how to cushion small businesses. Madam Temporary Speaker, finally, since we come from North Rift, the major region that feeds the entire country, I wish to advice and add that Sen. Mwaura should also include cushion to farmers. This is because if we do not have food security in this country, there will be a threat to national security since there should be sufficiency of food supply in the markets. Therefore, as we seek solutions, we must put in place the necessary interventions to cushion our farmers, especially to supply them with subsided fertilizers and seeds. We are at this session where weeding is ongoing. We are also doing top-dressing in our farms, especially on maize plantations in the North Rift. Madam Temporary Speaker, we need zero rating of pesticides that we use for weeding and top-dressing fertilizers to ensure that we have sufficient food. Kenyans are being advised to stay at home, there is lockdown, there is cessation and many other interventions in place. We should also put in place necessary measures so that farmers continue to produce more and ensure that we stabilize food prices in the market. The more the food supply in the market, the demand will stabilize and, therefore, our people will continue to buy goods at an affordable price and we will be able to eradicate the issue of COVID-19 pandemic in this country. I thank you."
}