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"id": 806274,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
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"legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
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"content": "Mr. Speaker Sir, I wish to make a Statement on an issue of general topical concern under Standing Order (46) (2) (a). Pursuant to Standing Order (46) (2) (a), I rise to issue a Statement on illegal importation of sugar in Kenya. Mr. Speaker, Sir, for the record, on 29th September, 2017 the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury issued a Gazette Notice No.9801 citing Executive Order No.1 of 2017 issued by the President and declared that duty shall not be payable on the sugar which will have been loaded into a vessel between 1st September, 2017 and 31st December, 2017 destined to a port in Kenya and consigned to a local sugar miller. The reason cited for this Notice was that there was drought and famine in some parts of Kenya. On 13th October, 2017 the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury issued another Gazette Notice No.10149 stating that the Gazette Notice No.9801 is amended by deleting the expression “31st December, 2017” and substituting therefor the expression “October 13th 2017” effective the date of the Gazette Notice. This abrupt and unreasonable act by the Cabinet Secretary effectively created a special status for a favoured sugar importer that has precipitated the current crisis. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the reason cited by the Cabinet Secretary and the authority of the President flies in the face of common sense. When there is drought and famine in the country the desperation for any government is to look for food and water for its people, and not sugar. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there have been numerous reports in the media attributed to, among others, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government that there have been illegal importations of sugar and that the same has been tested by the Government Chemist and found to contain dangerous chemicals that are harmful to human beings. Mr. Speaker, Sir, sometime last week, the State raided the godowns of Pan African Paper Mills, now called Rai Paper, in Webuye Town, Bungoma County and found large quantities of imported sugar. Similar quantities of imported sugar were found at West Kenya Sugar Company in Kakamega County and other parts of the country, including Nairobi. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if indeed the harmful sugar containing dangerous chemical substances, according to the Government itself, found its way into the country, what role did Government agencies funded by taxpayers’ money, such as the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), the Anti-Counterfeit Agency, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Trade, among others, play? Mr. Speaker, Sir, available video clips show a chilling, callous and, indeed, criminal conduct on the part of importers and handlers of this sugar. The sugar is seen in several clips being loaded or unloaded and shovelled in godowns like construction sand. At the Rai Paper godown in Webuye, news clips showed the sugar labelled “Brazilian 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."
}