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{
    "id": 1157554,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1157554/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 302,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, thank you. Today, at this critical period of our campaign, I have stuck here because of this important Bill. I represent a constituency or a county that is one of the major sugar growing and production areas of Kenya. Sugar production is the main stay of close to 16 million livelihoods in this country both directly and indirectly. The whole of Western region, right from West Pokot County down to the Tanzania border and Kehancha in Migori County, Trans Mara, Kericho County and parts of Uasin Gishu County are sugar growing areas. At the Coast, Kwale County is home to Ramisi, one of the oldest factories in Kenya. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, at around 2012, we made a near fatal mistake in the sugar industry. All the specialised agricultural laws were repelled and collapsed into the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Act thinking that we are going to make things better but in fact we made things worse. The Sugar Board that was running the sugar industry and the Sugar Act then was repelled. To date, nobody has explained to the people of Kenya where the close to Kshs19 billion farmers’ money that was in the sugar development levy fund at the time of the repeal of the Act went. That is money that critically supported the continuing improvement, regeneration and refurbishment of factories and support to farming activities in the industry. That money is nowhere and in the usual Kenyan style, everybody says it was not them when you ask them. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the most important provision in this whole Bill is the re-establishment of the Sugar Board that is going to regulate and help in management and bring order in the sector. Since the repeal of the Sugar Act, we have had players in the sector run completely amok and rogue. With nobody to bring sanity to the sector, farmers were abandoned and left on their own. Millers went completely rogue dealing with farmers in any manner they wish, paying them whatever they wish and, at the time, they wish. There is no one to protect them. Out-grower organizations were literally run out of town and have kept shouting at a Government that does not listen. The Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has been so preoccupied with non-core issues of his Ministry when farmers are suffering. He has become a political activist, a campaign manager and doing all manner of things, except running the Ministry under which many structures, including the sugar sector falls. I want to salute the Chairperson of the Committee of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in this House, the distinguished Senator of Embu, Sen. Peter Ndwiga. He invited me into a meeting when they were listening to views from some of the stakeholders, particularly farmers’ representatives. We had a very productive engagement that would help in a very positive way in bringing order and, above all, benefits to farmers in this sector."
}