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{
"id": 1493772,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493772/?format=api",
"text_counter": 209,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Konoin, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Brighton Yegon",
"speaker": null,
"content": " That is why this matter is being followed by the farmers so that they can be able to account for where their bonuses went to. I am in the final response. Number four, during the last election for directors that was held in July 2024, candidates for the position of tea factory directors - including Mr. Enos Njeru who is also the zonal board The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1493773,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493773/?format=api",
"text_counter": 210,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Konoin, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Brighton Yegon",
"speaker": null,
"content": "member of KTDA - used the rate of bonus payment as a bait to persuade tea farmers in voting for them. In that regard, Mr. Enos Njeru had promised tea farmers in Kirinyaga County that they would be paid Ksh60 per kilogram of green leaves that is delivered to the factory. The promise was supposedly made based on the nine months accounts which is from July 2023 to March 2024, which usually has not taken into account certain expenditures like external audit fees, depreciation and amortisation, taxation and dividends. In addition, the factory tea prices declined from US$3.2 in March 2024 to US$2.8 in June 2024, while the exchange rate also declined from Ksh139 to Ksh129 per US Dollar over the same period. Consequently, the farmers in the region have been boycotting plucking of tea agitating for an increase of bonus from the declared Ksh46 to Ksh60 as promised during the campaigns. However, normalcy has been resumed in the factory. There was an attempt to hold a Special General Meeting on 15th October 2024 to remove the current directors who were voted into office in July 2024. Of course, there is a summary of payment of green tea leaves by KTDA-managed factories for the Financial Year 2023/2024. With those few remarks, that is the response by the Ministry concerning the two factories – that is Kimunye and Thumaita."
},
{
"id": 1493774,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493774/?format=api",
"text_counter": 211,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": " Hon. Robert Gichimu is no doubt satisfied."
},
{
"id": 1493775,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493775/?format=api",
"text_counter": 212,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Gichugu, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Gichimu Githinji",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Let me start by thanking the Vice-Chairman and the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock for coming up with that response. Tea matters in my constituency are very important for almost half of the population who entirely rely on the crop. I sought this statement so that I am able to relay to the farmers that I represent, who sell their tea at Kimunye and Thumaita tea factories. Since the facts have already been given and since there is also a pending comprehensive audit report from the Tea Board of Kenya, and those farmers will also be holding an Annual General Meeting before the end of this year, I think this information will be very important for them to ask all the relevant questions in respect of the tea bonus payment. I am happy that all the farmers from Kimunye and Thumaita tea factories have resumed tea plucking so that they do not lose. I advised them to continue plucking tea as I follow up on this Statement. I will relay to them, but there are pertinent issues that will be raised from this response. Amongst the machines that have been listed to be bought by one of the factories called Thumaita Tea Factory, there is an amount of Ksh22.5 million that has been set aside for various machines. I think those are some of the clarifications my farmers will be seeking from the directors of those factories. Finally, Hon. Temporary Speaker, I think it is important for the directors, when they are seeking for their votes, to be very cautious and very sensitive on finance matters and especially on tea bonus payment. They should not use figures as a bait for them to be elected, and which might also not be achieved as it happened on this matter. This is because most of the issues that were raised were based on what had been promised. And if they have not verified on the issues of the sales, the issues, the dollar and all those manners of things, I think I would advise them to be very cautious, including the Chairman of the Kenya Tea Board of Kenya. It has already been admitted in the response that he used the promise that tea factories would be paying not less than Ksh60 in Kirinyaga so that he could be elected. The Chairman of KTDA, Mr. Enos Njeru, please do not mislead farmers. Give factual information on figures. Where you do not know, leave it. The market will determine the figures that the farmers will be paid. Do not mislead the farmers. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1493776,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493776/?format=api",
"text_counter": 213,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Robert Gichimu. The Hon. Vice-Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock, do you have the response for Hon. Sarah Korere?"
},
{
"id": 1493777,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493777/?format=api",
"text_counter": 214,
"type": "heading",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "LEASE OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LAND IN RUMURUTI"
},
{
"id": 1493778,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493778/?format=api",
"text_counter": 215,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Konoin, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Brighton Yegon",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Yes, I have a response concerning the lease of Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) land in Rumuruti in Laikipia County. The response from the Ministry is as follows: The Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), through its subsidiary land limited, owns approximately 63,220 acres in Rumuruti, Laikipia County. Out of those 63,220 acres, 15,000 acres were leased to a company called Waragus Limited. The particulars of Waragus Limited directorship are as per the reference in the attached CR12 document, and the report has been shared with Hon. Sarah Korere. Number two, a Report of the procedure followed by ADC in leasing of the said property, including the report on public participation that was conducted, if any. The response from the Ministry is as follows: The lease of property to Waragus Limited was conducted under the authority of Agricultural Development Corporation Act (CAP 444), specifically Section 13. Section 13 empowers the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) Board to engage in commercially viable ventures and also to enter into all such transactions as it deems necessary for conducive performance of its function. The Board has the mandate of managing ADC resources, including leasing land to enhance economic benefits. In line with this mandate, the Board followed the rules and procedures to ensure transparency and accountability in the investment of the project, which include leases, joint ventures and consensual arrangement. Public participation in the ventures is facilitated through open tendering as required by the procurement laws, ensuring fairness and openness with regard to decision-making processes. Therefore, in this case, the leasing process involved public participation through open tendering mechanism, fully complying with the relevant procedures, regulations and maintaining the transparency that is expected in the ADC commercial ventures. There is an attached extract dated 14th September 2015 in Annex 2, which has been given to Sarah. The final question is on the steps to be taken to reverse the lease if it is determined to have been pre-arranged. The response from the brief is that the lease agreement between ADC and M/s Waragus Limited provides for a termination and exit clause, which outlines the conditions under which either party can end the lease. If it is determined that the lease was pre- arranged, or that any party has failed to meet its obligation under the terms of the agreement, a notice of termination can be issued in accordance with the provisions of the lease agreement. The termination process would begin by issuing a formal notice specifying the grounds for termination based on the failure of one or both parties to fulfil their obligations. This allows the reversal of the lease through mutual agreement or, if necessary, through legal channels. If a dispute arises regarding compliance with the terms of the agreement, should both parties agree, the lease can be terminated amicably or further legal procedures may be pursued if contested. That is the response from the Ministry, Hon. Temporary Speaker."
},
{
"id": 1493779,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493779/?format=api",
"text_counter": 216,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": " Hon. Sarah Korere."
},
{
"id": 1493780,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493780/?format=api",
"text_counter": 217,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Laikipia North, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Sarah Korere",
"speaker": {
"id": 13134,
"legal_name": "Sara Paulata Korere",
"slug": "sara-paulata-korere"
},
"content": " Thank you. I want to thank the Vice-Chair of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock for attempting to respond to the statement request. However, again, it goes without saying that the response is shallow and annoying. This is because ADC Mutara is a 63,000 acres piece of land in Laikipia. Clearly, the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1493781,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493781/?format=api",
"text_counter": 218,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Laikipia North, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Sarah Korere",
"speaker": {
"id": 13134,
"legal_name": "Sara Paulata Korere",
"slug": "sara-paulata-korere"
},
"content": "intention of the Government, in having such a parastatal there, was to undertake breeding and upgrading of the breeds of the neighbouring communities. It is an open secret that, as we speak, the ADC Mutara Farm does not have a single cow. A whole parastatal that is being run using taxpayers' money has less than 1,000 goats. It does not make sense to have it there. To make the matters worse, the Corporation has leased the land to M/s Waragus Limited, who purported to be livestock keepers, but who are now sub- leasing grass to the local community. If my constituents want to graze their livestock in ADC Mutara, they have to pay some money to that company. If ADC really had to lease that land to livestock keepers, did they have to look for livestock keepers elsewhere when we have livestock keepers in the immediate neighbourhood? I am not satisfied with the response. In fact, the reply is clouded in a lot of mischief. Something is being hidden. I will redraft this statement request into a question for direct response by the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Agriculture and Livestock Development. That is because if we continue with this manner of responding to statement requests, we will not get to the bottom of this matter. I am saying that because Laikipia is a place where the locals have always been marginalised by their land being taken away in the name of investments. Recently, someone was given 400 acres of land to build a centre for rehabilitation of drunkards. A whole 400 acres? I do not know why those guys have to go there and graze their livestock literally while the indigenous people of Laikipia remain squatters. The ADC has leased out 20,000 acres to M/s Waragus Limited, and has given another 400 acres to a former Second Lady to build a rehabilitation centre. I am in support of rehabilitating our youth but 10 acres is enough to up a state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre. That is why we cannot just sit here and see land being leased out left, right and centre in the name of investing when the reality is that people are stealing it from the local people."
}
]
}