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{
    "id": 994082,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/994082/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 176,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, we have also noted a misconception that the only people who need to be cushioned are those in slums. There are many of us who, if we miss two salaries, we will also need to be cushioned. Imagine the staff from Kenya Airways (KQ) without a salary and they are not living in slums. For example, a husband who is a steward and a wife who is an air hostess who lives in Pipeline cannot pay their rent or buy food without their pay. We need to think of a wage or a business subsidy fund. At that time, we were in discussion with the National Treasury to create a Kshs120 billion fund where a businessman can say that, for example, this is Sen. Cherargei and Sons, in the last financial year, this was my turn-over, but I have been affected by COVID-19. A businessman can demonstrate that to the bank through, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), how much he or she has been paying his or her employees. Through that, they can get a concessional grant or loan that can help to keep people employed. We cannot touch each and every individual. However, if we touch the employers and their small business, who are well organized, we will cushion our people. Madam Temporary Speaker, recently, I accompanied the CS, Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government and other Government officials to Eastleigh to speak to the Eastleigh Business Community about the restrictions. People are suffering. We understand that there is need for containment. However, we want to start questioning the facts. The numbers that we know are because we have tested people there. Everywhere we go and test, we will get those same numbers or even higher. Are we going to do containment everywhere? There are people who would go to work in Eastleigh, but live in the neighbouring slums like Kiambiu Slum, and many of those. They cannot get food right now because Eastleigh is locked. They are not able to go to work. We had hoped that, that restriction would have been reduced, but it has been extended. We hope that on 6th of June, 2020, we will be told what we are doing with it. Today, if we decided to test residents of Lavington or any part of this country, we will get crazy numbers. This is because Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) alluded that the level of infection and the virus in Kenya might not be same. The strain might not be same, yet our economy is completely on its knees. Our people are suffering."
}