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{
    "id": 563732,
    "url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/563732/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 393,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Having said that, this Bill is very important; we have grown up seeing Kenya being ridiculed and the world coming to give aid to Kenya. The Red Cross Society has been overworked especially around Turkana and other Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). We have seen our brothers and sisters in the eastern region, some are forced to eat dogs or wild fruits and roots to survive yet we have areas within our country which are very rich and fertile and can grow a lot of food. Madam Temporary Speaker, with this Bill, if everything is regulated accordingly, it will ensure that the basket of the country will provide food to other areas and all the malnutrition will be a thing of the past. We have passed various resolutions as the Senate; we have passed Motions and also dealt with the issue of the need of irrigating most areas within the country. This Bill will ensure that all those are harmonised and the country will no longer be a laughingstock. We are well educated, we have equipment and we also have good friends who can provide all the things we need. Therefore, we do not need to suffer. We have worked hard for many years. I remember when I was a young girl in school, we used to participate in the freedom from hunger walk. It cannot be the same thing many years later. This must come to an end. We, as leaders, must come up with policies and implement them. We should come up with the laws that will ensure that future generations do not go through what we went through. Madam Temporary Speaker, I have looked at the Bill and it does not violate the Constitution at all. It enables the implementation of the Constitution where every Kenyan has a right to food. I am very happy because this Bill complements the Bill that I have been struggling with in this Senate for the last two years, having tabled it in September, 2013, that is, the Reproductive Healthcare Bill. In the Bill, I have talked about the right to knowledge and information. Once these Kenyans are informed and taught and especially the adolescents, they are taught the right nutritional knowledge so that they can stop eating junk food and remain healthy and strong to enable them participate in the development of the country. I am aware that countries like the United States of America (USA) are on a serious campaign on the issue of nutrition. This is to enable them deal with the problem of obesity amongst others. We know that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. When we feed well and are able to eat good fruits, some even grow in forests, we will not have problems at all. The other day, we were in Turkey and everybody does exercises. They eat well and do a lot of exercises. We have seen that the Bill talks about the Cabinet Secretary making regulations. I am glad being the Vice Chair of the Committee on Delegated Legislation, we shall look into them thoroughly, give proper public participation and ensure that the Bill is implemented to the letter. With those few remarks, I beg to support. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}