Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1025630,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1025630/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 326,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Endebess, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1458,
        "legal_name": "Robert Pukose",
        "slug": "robert-pukose"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I want to thank my colleagues who before me, were able to prepare this Report. If you look at the Report, you will find that there were many interested people who made their presentations before this Committee. The Commodity Fund was created through an Act of Parliament through an amendment of the Crops Act in 2013 and it became operational in 2016. During this time, when you are expecting to operationalise it, that is supposed to be the transitional period... That is when all the books are supposed to be cleared and all assets are supposed to be properly transferred. Looking at the Report, even as late as 2019, there is no proper transfer which has occurred up to date. And when you look at the Committee’s recommendations — of which I am a Member — the Committee recommends that within three months, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) should ensure that we have proper transfer of the funds, liabilities and assets of the defunct Coffee Board and Kenya Sugar Board. These are things that, if we want to make sure that we have a smooth running of credit facilities and improvement by both the sugar and coffee farmers, then the CS for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries must be able to lean these Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority (AFFA) functions, which were supposed to belong to the Commodities Fund. AFFA is still operating the accounts for the Commodities Fund, yet, that function is supposed to be transferred to a board of trustees that is supposed to run the Commodities Fund. So, I think it is very important that we look at the agricultural sector especially coffee and sugar, which are key commodities within the sector for earning of foreign exchange. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, it looks very unfortunate that we have to import sugar from our neighbouring brothers Uganda and other countries, yet our own sugarcane farmers are 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."
}