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{
    "id": 1088377,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1088377/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 266,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Zani",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13119,
        "legal_name": "Agnes Zani",
        "slug": "agnes-zani"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, part three talks about the role of the county governments. It is very clear. Throughout the Bill, the provisions for the national Government have been clearly outlined, but here we have the role of the county governments. I just want to confirm whether the specific responsibility for the county governments has been directly prescribed. I do not seem to be able to pick up on it. I think I saw something like that on the arrangement of clauses. We have the role of the county governments. I think the intimated understanding is that all the other roles are national and now we are specifically talking about the county governments’ role. Rather than have the role of the county governments then the role of the counties a most of the legislation tends to have. Each of the county governments shall implement the national Government policy relating to coffee and maintain an up to date register. This is one of the things where this Bill brings into place. There is the idea of the registration, licences, processing for licences, reason for rejection of licences, the process of ensuring that another licence is given, the renewal of licences, which is an annual thing, the fee prescribed that has to be paid, and late licensing. This is just to make sure that anybody who is involved in this sector knows exactly what it is that they are doing. We have the coffee associations and estates. The county governments should consider applications for the certificates, permits and licenses enumerated under the Second Schedule. I think this is what other Members also talked about. The Second Schedule is confounded in the sense that the it has both the issue in authority as the board. I suspect that here we are looking at the board at a national level, and then we the county governments. This specific clause says that one of the roles of the county governments is to consider applications, certificates and licenses enumerated under the Schedule. It is like they are in charge of all this, yet the schedule itself is very specific. Some sort of cross referencing might be important to say which aspects are to be considered by the county government. I suspect that this is from 7 to 15. Separating that will ensure that the confounding is not there. The Bill also offers extension services. We were told about we used to have extension officers who were so critical in showing farmers if they were on the right track. We should revive all this in collaboration with law enforcement. It will ensure security in coffee growing areas among others as over akin roles that make it possible for counties to thrive in the production of coffee. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Clause 24 says that each county government may enact county legislation. It is very important to get support and making sure that there is a fitting margin between the sector and the counties. This is through the County Executive Commissioner (CEC), who has been given lots of responsibilities, but also through the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) who are the representatives of the people and can do a lot in catapulting this area."
}