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{
    "id": 1147505,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1147505/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 130,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13188,
        "legal_name": "Getrude Musuruve Inimah",
        "slug": "getrude-musuruve-inimah"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. As Sen. Ndwiga was taking us through, I could really see the role of the Senate. If you look at the Coffee Bill (Senate Bill No. 20 of 2022), it comes out clearly that we are keen on representing, the counties and their interests. One of our core interest is to ensure that we are protect our farmers. The country signed the Maputo Declaration and it stated clearly that we will support agriculture and about 10 per cent of the national revenue will go to agriculture. One of our core serious business is to protect the interests of our counties. Therefore, the farmers must be prioritized. In the Senate Bill that we gave, the proposition was that both the national and the county Governments must be involved in farming. The reason is that the national Government comes with a specific role. For instance, when you are talking about policies, it will come from the national Government which needs to cascade to the county governments. On the issue of security, you find people being murdered in coffee growing areas and so the Government needs to provide security in those areas. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is clear what both the national and county Governments need to do. In the event of disease outbreaks, it is the business of both the county and national Governments, so that we protect our farmers and encourage them as we make their industry sustainable. One of the issues in this industry that must be remembered is we must encourage our farmers so that their work becomes self-sustaining. Farmers employ themselves and are also creators of employment. It is our onus as the Senate to ensure that the business that is going on in the coffee industry will benefit farmers directly. Therefore, farmers should get money from their proceeds directly. We should not have people brokering so that farmers get money. When it comes to support, it should come from the Government. The farmer should not be encouraged to look for loans from banks and pay interests and all that. There must be a mechanism to ensure that the board that is created will ensure when it comes to planting, farmers have seedlings, when it comes to diseases, farmers have protection and all that. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when it comes to real coffee, Kenyan coffee is drank in many parts of the world. If you go to the USA or Dubai, the coffee is expensive. However, it is unfortunate that once this coffee is exported, the real farmer who plants it cannot afford to buy it."
}