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{
"id": 1030445,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1030445/?format=api",
"text_counter": 139,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13188,
"legal_name": "Getrude Musuruve Inimah",
"slug": "getrude-musuruve-inimah"
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to speak on this Statement. I want to begin by thanking Sen. Khaniri for coming up with this Statement. Sen. Khaniri is speaking on an issue that is live and real on the ground. I remember when I was growing up, about 35 years ago - and I know quite a number of Senators were not born then - about 35 years ago, when I was in Vihiga County where I originally came from, I could see my grandfather planting tea leaves. He was a very good farmer who was known. He was not working because he was a retired teacher during the colonial times, but he was able to pay his workers just from the tea proceeds. Very many people got into tea farming. There was a predictable day when tea was plucked, collected and money was paid. People got into tea farming because of these incentives; there was encouragement at that time. However, it is unfortunate, as years have gone by, tea farming has become one of the poorest farming crops. During that time, it was a cash crop that was lucrative. People were able to pay school fees. For instance, my grandfather was able to pay school fees for his children and maintain his family. Even other farmers I saw in Vihiga were able to do that. Right now, it is a sorry state. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when I started working as a teacher, I decided to reward my parents. When I got my first pay, I decided to plant tea leaves for them because I saw how lucrative it was and I thought that it was a good way of rewarding my parents, so that they could have a predictable income even in their aging moment. Right now, there are so many brokers in the tea industry; tea has no returns for farmers. This is an issue that we have to take seriously as Kenyans because Kenya signed the Maputo Declaration, which was very clear that 10 per cent of the national revenue will go to farming. Tea is a big employer for the youth. People can even employ themselves. As a country, we are talking about employment as a very big agenda. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is need for the tea manufacturing industry to be streamlined so that our farmers are also encouraged. It is unfortunate that our farmers are crying; they want the Senate to hold their hand. As Senate, we need to ensure that we lift the farmers by ensuring that we come up with legislation that will help them. It is unfortunate that the Bill that Sen. Cheruiyot came up with, up to now, it is not law. There is need to fast track that Bill, so that it is eventually a law. When it becomes a law, I am sure that farmers in Kenya, especially tea farmers will be encouraged to get into planting tea. It is unfortunate that a crop that was so lucrative at one point is now being uprooted because farmers are discouraged. As a nation, we have to see how to endeavour and encourage our farmers because they are doing a good job. They are employing themselves, they are employing youth, they are feeding their families and taking their children to school out of tea. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we need to ensure that there is return for farmers. This is a House that can ventilate on this and ensure that our farmers are protected because this our mandate. Thank you, Sen. Khaniri, for bringing up this good Statement. I hope that the Committee that will deal with this Statement will do service to it, so that it sees light of the day and farmers are protected. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}