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{
    "id": 1030422,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1030422/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 116,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 124,
        "legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
        "slug": "samson-ongeri"
    },
    "content": "A Bill was brought in this House and it has now gone to the other House. Our maximum concentration should be on how we can fast track that Bill for it to become an Act of Parliament. When the Bill was taken for public hearing, we looked at the Tea Act, which was done some time back, and we realized that it was difficult to reintroduce an amendment to that Act because of the nature of its introduction and the interest that was entrenched in it. The regulations that were brought by the Cabinet Secretary created so much storm. The only remedy that we have at the moment, is to fast-track the Bill, which is in the National Assembly, plus the regulations that have been set up because most of those elements have been captured. We noted that there are more than 42 levies and taxes on one commodity called tea, which is cumbersome for a small scale holder. How do you handle 42 levies and taxes on one commodity? We hope that the current Bill, which is before the National Assembly, and the regulations that are coming, are going to target those levies and commodities for us to lessen the burden of the other people. I do agree that the amount paid to the farmer at the level of green tea must be enhanced. Currently, they are being paid Kshs17 per kilogram by Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA). It will be prudent to pay the farmer for him to cover his costs instead of him waiting for the bonus, which is unpredictable and unfixed. This year’s bonus was not attractive. The bonuses were very attractive five or ten years ago. Some factories in the East of Kenya used to pay Kshs67 to Kshs70 a kilogram. This year, the farmers got below Kshs30. In the western part of Kenya, the bonuses were below Kshs20 per kilogram depending on where you were. Some bonuses were as low as Kshs8 or even Kshs7 per kilogram. This is very unpredictable and that is why we need stability. The farmer should earn decent, predictable bonuses. He should also be able to meet basic costs at the green level. We must give him guaranteed minimum returns at the green level position for him to be a major player in the market. We should also fix the auction market. I heard about the digitalization of the platform in Mombasa. It is good in one way but it can be thoroughly manipulated to a point where it does not have the desired effect if it goes to the international digital platform. We should go for minimum controlled digitization platform that will guarantee sales and safety of the small-scale farmer at the auction market rather than opening it widely. If you do so, you will just be swallowed in the international digital platform and the farmer will get nothing or may even end up worse than before. We should soberly look at this matter because it affects the tea farmer, the sugar factories and the other factories. I do empathize with the farmers because they are now in difficulty. I hope that this Bill will be fast-tracked for it to be an Act of Parliament with regulations."
}