• The Senate committee will come up with policy and legislative proposals on mitigating the disease and cushioning Kenyans against its effects.
• The panel wants the CSs to explain plans their ministries have rolled out to combat and cushion the masses from the disease.
Image: MAGRET WANJIRU
A Senate ad hoc committee has invited 10 cabinet secretaries to discuss strategies to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on residents.
The seven-member committee chaired by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja wants the CSs to explain plans their ministries have rolled out to cushion the public.
The CSs to appear before the panel are Mutahi Kagwe (Health), Fred Matiang’i (Interior), Ukur Yattani (The National Treasury), James Macharia (Transport), Joe Mucheru (ICT) and Betty Maina (Industry and Trade).
Others are George Magoha (Education), Peter Munya (Agriculture), William Chelugui (Labour and Social Welfare) and Eugene Wamalwa (Devolution).
On Sunday, committee vice chairman Sylvia Kasanga said the Kagwe-led National Emergency Response Committee on Covid will be the first before them.
The committee was expected to meet the Kagwe team last Friday but the meeting was moved to give them more time.
“The chairman is pushing the CS to see if we can meet them either Wednesday or Thursday,” Kasanga told the Star.
The committee has also invited the Independent Police Oversight Authority and police IG General Hillary Mutyambai to shed light on cases of police brutality witnessed on March 27.
At least three people have died through alleged police brutality and more than 50 others seriously injured.
The Council of Governors, Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union and Kenya National Union of Nurses have also been invited to give an account of healthcare workers on the frontline of the disease.
“We could like to understand the provision of testing and medical equipment, including adequate ventilators in referral hospitals and in at least one public hospital in each county,” a document outlining the committee’s work plan reads in part.
From the Ministry of Health, CoG, healthcare workers unions, the committee will seek to understand the extent of the spread of the coronavirus, challenges the health workers are facing and proposals of how they can be addressed.
In particular, the team will seek to know from the frontline workers who include doctors and nurses if there are measures in place to ensure their protection, safety and well-being.
Last week, governors raised a number of concerns including the inadequate provision of testing and medical equipment and lack of ventilators in referral hospitals.
The committee has invited interested members of the public to submit their memorandum on how the pandemic can be addressed. Kasanga said they are already started receiving the submissions.
With the National Treasury; Ministry of Industry and Kenya Revenue Authority the team will discuss the impact on businesses, particularly the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, trade and measures to cushion borrowers and financial institutions.
The committee will ask the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, CoG how they intend to ease legislative and regulatory requirements for doing business and protection of residential and commercial tenants.
For social, public order and human rights issues, the committee will be recommending for provision of a financial lifeline, through cash disbursements, to vulnerable families and delivery of clean and safe drinking water to communities at risk.
They will also want to know measures put in place for the protection and care of street families during the curfew and issuance of face masks, hand washing points (with water and soap) and hand sanitiser.
The Federation of Kenya Employers and KEPSA will be seeking measures to protect employees from retrenchment and job losses.
Also expected to have a date with the team are the Teachers Service Commission, Commission Of University Education, Kenya Secondary Schools heads Association, Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association, Kenya Union Post Primary Education Teachers, University Association Staff Union and Kenya National Association of Parents.
The committee will be recommending measures to enable learners to continue with their studies and increase access to the internet and online learning platforms by learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.