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{
    "id": 1096453,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1096453/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 299,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Teso North, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Oku Kaunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13488,
        "legal_name": "Edward Oku Kaunya",
        "slug": "edward-oku-kaunya"
    },
    "content": "or even rain-fed agriculture, but in the late 1980s, the National Cotton Board failed. The failure of the board resulted in all farmers losing out on cotton growing. Recently, the Government has put in efforts to try and revitalise some of the schemes. In the case of cotton, last year, the Government even launched the Biotech (Bt) Cotton, which could be grown across the country through irrigation. In launching that, the Cabinet Secretary promised that for the next few years, all farmers will get free Bt Cotton seeds. Whereas some seeds were given last year, this year, there were no seeds or insecticides. So, farmers are at a loss. I emphasise that even as we support this Bill that will bring about change in terms of both food security and production of other commercial crops like cotton, we must ensure that those who are bestowed upon to manage the board that is supposed to take care of this must be people with integrity who are able to make sure that production is achieved. There is a story told about how in 1969, after a Kenyan delegation visited Israel to explore the irrigation systems used there, an Israeli technical team came here, made recommendations, went back, and our Government tried to implement the recommendations. Some 20 years later, another delegation went to Israel seeking the same technical assistance. It happened that one of the sons of the technicians who joined the team that came to Kenya knew about it and was in the team that was there. The question that was raised in that circumstance was whether we are still where the father of that young man was when they advised and we did not implement. My emphasis is that as we support this Bill, we should ensure that the gaps in implementation are filled. I will be proposing some amendments to strengthen and streamline the selection of the members of that board to ensure that qualified people, including engineers with some irrigation background, are brought on board, so that when we go to the implementation stage, we are able to achieve what is expected. I support the Bill. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."
}