Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1011086,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1011086/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 92,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Moiben, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Silas Tiren",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2364,
        "legal_name": "Silas Kipkoech Tiren",
        "slug": "silas-kipkoech-tiren"
    },
    "content": "Five proposes restricting of the Strategic Food Reserve where governance and operations of the current systems were deemed wanting. Hon. Members, it is against this background that I am giving a Statement regarding disbanding of SFRTF in the country. In my Statement, I will focus on the circumstances that led to the disbandment of the Strategic Food Reserve Trust Fund. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, in collaboration with stakeholders and development ASTG, identified the need to boost household food resilience to better serve approximately four million Kenyans by restricting governance and operations of the Strategic Food Reserve. This necessitated disbandment of SFRTF and was guided by: (i) The need to stop undermining the basic functions of the market and Strategic Food Reserve system. Historically, the Government, through the Strategic Food Reserve, intervenes in the maize sector by offering to purchase maize soon after the harvest, at a price higher than the prevailing market prices. The product is stored within the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and later released to the market at a price below the market price, when supplies are depleted. Such practice causes market distortion, both in price and supply of the commodity. (ii) The need to stop undermining the growth of a predictable agricultural market. The preferential relationship given to the National Cereals and Produce Board in the agency arrangements with the Strategic Food Reserve Trust Fund, coupled with blanket Government subsidies, private sector participation in the food storage system and generally disorganise private sector involvement in strategic food reserve system. (iii) The need to remove overlaps in the legal mandates. The Legal Notice establishing SFRTF did not change the NCPB Act Cap 338. This created overlaps in the legal mandate between the two agencies to procure, store and sell food commodities and maintenance of national food reserves. The subsequent agency relationship of SFRTF with the NCPB on non-commercial terms has created a situation where NCPB is in practice subservient to SFRTF. (iv) Conflict of interest and contradictions: As per the SFRTF Regulations, the Principal Secretary responsible for agriculture is a member of the oversight board as well as the administrator of the Fund. (v) Lack of functional instruments for monitoring trade flows including up-to-date food balance sheets. These affect the available food quantities, early warning of impending crisis, as well as mechanisms and triggers for market stabilisation in the functioning of SFRTF. (vi) The need to realise time and resources in the Ministry of Agriculture for other strategic crop production interventions. The intense involvement of the Ministry of Agriculture in operational issues of the maize sub-sector draws focus and funds away from broader and more strategic action for improving food and nutrition security. That is the Statement requested by Hon. Savula from the Ministry. I will now go to the second Statement which was raised by Hon. Gabriel Kago. It is a Statement regarding the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Kiambu County, particularly Githunguri Constituency, by Hon. Gabriel Kago, the Member of Parliament for Githunguri Constituency."
}