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{
"id": 1462252,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462252/?format=api",
"text_counter": 100,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will try to be quick. On this issue of tea raised by Sen. Cherarkey, we share partly in the blame as a Senate. For about three months now, the Tea (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bills No.1 of 2023) has been at the Committee of the Whole stage. With the Chairpersons of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries being here, tea farmers are looking up to this House to resolve their issues. If we cannot find time to consider a Bill that is at the Third Reading for three good months, then what other business do we have in this House? I plead that the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries takes this matter with the seriousness that it deserves. They should treat this matter better than we have treated the Tea Amendment Bill by Sen. Wakili Sigei. They perhaps need to visit Mombasa and establish the truth about that unsold stock of tea, so that this House can be properly guided. Finally, is to come up with a long-lasting solution, I do not know whether there is a scientific connection between countries that have political hardships and consumption of tea. Many of our traditional markets from Iran, Pakistan, Sudan and now Bangladesh, are amongst the largest consumers of our black tea that we produce in this country. Therefore, when there are political upheavals in those countries, markets are affected and we have this challenge such as what is being experienced in Mombasa. Consequently, the country must be guided on how to establish new markets for our tea, so that our farmers can continue earning from their sweat. Lastly, in just under a minute, is to agree with Sen. Crystal Asige. The performance of Team Kenya at the Paris Olympics has been nothing short of heartbreaking. As a fan of athletics, I do not recall a time that we have performed as dismally as we have done in these Olympic games. I know there are a few races that are yet to be concluded. At the risk of sounding racist, it broke my heart to see Kenya lose the 3,000 and 1500 steeplechase races. These are races that we have previously dominated and have come to be associated with Kenya as a Republic. The new Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts, hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, has his work properly cut out. We must guide the country in the"
},
{
"id": 1462253,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462253/?format=api",
"text_counter": 101,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 13165,
"legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
"slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
},
"content": "proper direction. While many of our athletes are talented and can make do despite our disorganization, the truth of the matter, whether we like it or not, is that science has caught up with talent. Other people have learned how to do this art, despite them not being as talented as our athletes are. They come into this country study, train with us in Iten and then they disappear in January, to practice back in their country for the final race at the Olympic time. We must as well come up with better solutions on how to manage our athletes. This starts with how we treat these athletes. You saw what happened with part of our athletes in Team Kenya. Forget about how they arrived there. You should ask the athletes how they travelled. Many of them had long connecting flights, tired and not paid in due time. I hope this will be things of the past. I agree with Sen. Crystal Asige that we must get to the bottom of this matter and reclaim our space as the world's leading athletic and sporting powerhouse. I thank you."
},
{
"id": 1462254,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462254/?format=api",
"text_counter": 102,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. First of all, I want to support the statement by Sen. Crystal Asige. The mantra in sports is that the success in sport is one per cent talent and 99 per cent perspiration. I like the idea that the Senate Majority Leader put in place that science has indeed caught up with talent. This is a big lesson for us. We must appreciate that we are not investing so much on the perspiration side of this success. We are not investing in the right science and areas that we need to. We are just waiting for our sportsmen and women to depend purely on talent. More than that, I also think that the evil of corruption has bedeviled our sports industry. It is always very heartbreaking when you see your own playing for the other team and succeeding very well. For instance, the young lady who won the Steeplechase for Berlin. This is a serious Kenyan who has been denied opportunities to be able to perform for Kenya just because of simple corruption issues. These are issues that the new Cabinet Secretary must address in the Ministry and be able to allow truly talented people get the opportunity that they deserve. I am extending this issue of opportunity to the conversation that has been brought to the Floor of this House by the wonderful Senator for Nandi, Sen. Cherarkey. I call him wonderful because for the first time I have seen him standing very strongly with the Gen Zs. He has brought a very eminent issue of Gen Zs who go to the street to protest and then, whether organically or through some dubious means, some people organize to go and attack those young people in the streets in Nandi. This is not a phenomenon that we have only seen in Nandi. We have also seen this phenomenon in Migori and Nairobi counties. We are seeing it becoming a serious pattern of attacking protesters and pitting Kenyans against Kenyans. This cannot continue. We cannot sit as leaders and then we see people who come to the street to express themselves to show their discontent and then we devise a means of having Kenyans fight among themselves in the streets. It cannot happen."
},
{
"id": 1462255,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462255/?format=api",
"text_counter": 103,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "I would want us to appreciate as a country that even if in the mind of some leaders that seems like a temporary solution, we must focus on medium and long-term solution, which has made the young people agitated in this country. I hope that the Senate Majority Leader because he is also a young man in this House, can listen to this. Young people in this country are facing an economic problem and we must devise a proper solution towards it. With the naming and confirmation of the current Cabinet Secretaries, I hope they will recognize that we shall not know peace in this country, if young people are still wallowing in the miasma of economic disenfranchisement. It is very important that the Cabinet Secretaries who have taken charge of this country to start a proper engagement with areas that are able to create economic opportunity for young people. There has been this phenomenon of sometimes exporting labour and sending young people outside the country. I saw the other day the Prime Cabinet Secretary flagging off about 167 young people, who are going to be teachers outside the country. There are serious industries in this country. I hope that the Executive would listen carefully to this and start budgeting for those areas so that they are not excluded on the basis of tribal or regional budgeting that denies some areas opportunity that can create employment for those areas. One of those areas that I am very keen on is the lake region. I saw the former Governor of Mombasa County, currently the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs being sworn in. If you look at lake region where I come from, the immense potential of Lake Victoria in that area has not been tapped. As I speak, the country is facing a serious shortage of fish. The market for fish in this country is 600 million metric tonnes, and yet, what we currently have in the country is only 200 million metric tonnes, out of which 80 per cent is allowed as a wild catch and 20 per cent is what people are growing in fish caging. One of the two companies in Lake Victoria that are today doing proper stocking of fish farming is American. It is called Victory Farm. They are doing wonderful farming in that region, but they are not yet able to scratch the surface. That farm alone employs 1,000 young people. You cannot compare. GASPI Africa has done research in Lake Victoria and shown that the lake on the side of Kenya alone can produce up to 400 metric tonnes. This is worth Kshs120 billion, yet we are struggling to raise Kshs145 billion in the county, which we have cut in national budget on fiscal consolidation. Rio Fish in Lake Victoria is now employing over 40 young people directly and 200 young people indirectly. Mr. Speaker, Sir, young people in this country will not be leaving streets anytime soon if we are not deliberate about solving the economic problems of young people in this country. As long as young people are hungry and do not have jobs and an income, they will still go to the streets. I call upon the Cabinet Secretaries that got the jobs today, starting from my very good friend, Hon. John Mbadi and Hon. Opiyo Wandayi, it is time that you go there as experts and make sure that you dissect the economy and put in place projects that can allow young people to get jobs in this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I thank you so much. I hope that we will look at the issue of economic empowerment of young people in this country."
},
{
"id": 1462256,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462256/?format=api",
"text_counter": 104,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Sen. Veronica Maina, proceed."
},
{
"id": 1462257,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462257/?format=api",
"text_counter": 105,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I support the Statement by Sen. Crystal Asige on the performance of the athletes in Paris. We have a bulging population of the youth in this country. The sports sector can be an answer to the current emerging issues that need to be resolved. The sooner the Ministry calls every county into account on what they are doing with sports, and add other skills that would impact on the lives and transformation of young people, the better it will be for our nation. If we look at the national budget and how much is being divested towards dealing with sports and such activities, it will tell us the much concentration and attention that is being given to that sector. We have seen a lot of efforts in the management of sports. I have even seen the enactment of anti-doping laws, which appears to be a commitment towards bettering that industry. Unfortunately, the way sports are being managed, especially athletics, has left a lot to be desired. We have certain officials who have refused to move out of their offices. They seem not to have a timeline within which they should serve and exit and allow other officials to come in. Could that be one of the issues that is ailing the sports management in Kenya? If that is the case, as this statement is being committed to the relevant committee, it is high time we reassessed where our focus is in relation to the youth. This is one Ministry that can respond adequately to the needs of the youth. We have a lot of talent in Kenya among the young people, including football and basketball. When we were in Kigali last year, we saw the kind of a stadium that has been built by Rwanda. What stops our nation from building such stadiums? Indeed, both the private and public sector should be dedicated and committing to developing this sector. It worries every Kenyan a lot when a contractor has been awarded a tender to construct a stadium, and they do a very shoddy job. We had to go to our neighbour in Kigali, Rwanda, which is a much smaller nation than the Republic of Kenya to learn the kind of a stadium that another nation has put up, which attracts international youths. Why do we have contractors doing this? Do they not have mercy for Kenya? Mr. Speaker, Sir, the private sector will have to reassess how they are engaging also with the Government. They should engage with a lot of integrity when it comes to procurement processes and the quality of work. They should start becoming proud of delivering to Kenyans something that is equivalent to the public resources being utilised for the procurement. If we are dedicated to give a good percentage of the national budget towards such a Ministry, nothing stops this nation from having enough engagement of youths. The youths will feel that we are giving focus to them. We are also very concerned about the tea that has been grounded at the auction in Mombasa. For very many years in the Republic of Kenya, tea and coffee has always had market. Indeed, our tea happens to be among the best products in the whole world. Kenyan tea is used to blend every other tea in many nations. We are one of the biggest suppliers of tea to Egypt. Even the Pakistani tea does not beat Kenyan tea. If you want to know the quality of tea from Kenya, just go to United States of America (USA) and order for a cup of tea. You will wonder whether what you are drinking is tea or coffee. The only tea that can effectively blend any tea to become tasty is"
},
{
"id": 1462258,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462258/?format=api",
"text_counter": 106,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "from the Republic of Kenya. It then becomes very worrying that we have stocks of tea stuck in the auction in Mombasa. Whatever is happening needs to be resolved. The Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries must look into that issue very urgently because the number of farmers who are waiting for that auction to unlock will be so many. It will cause many peasant farmers to continue increasing the poverty index as opposed to reducing it. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I support that statement on the tea which has halted in Mombasa on tea auction that has gone wrong. I hope that the committee will render solutions to the House. I thank you."
},
{
"id": 1462259,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462259/?format=api",
"text_counter": 107,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Sen. Kinyua, proceed."
},
{
"id": 1462260,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462260/?format=api",
"text_counter": 108,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Kinyua",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13202,
"legal_name": "John Kinyua Nderitu",
"slug": "john-kinyua-nderitu-2"
},
"content": "Asante, Bw. Spika, kwa kunipa fursa hii. Mswahili anasema kipitacho rohoni kinapaswa kuonekana usoni. Seneta Beth Syengo ameongea kuhusu Rais wa Jamhuri ya Kenya na yeye anaonyesha kwa vitendo. Hii ni kwa sababu nikimwangalia, ninaona amevalia kofia ya chama kinachoongoza. Hata mkoba wake---"
},
{
"id": 1462261,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462261/?format=api",
"text_counter": 109,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Sen. Kinyua, if you have nothing to contribute on the statements that have been read, please, give a chance to your colleagues."
}
]
}