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{
    "id": 1159095,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1159095/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 335,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ndwiga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 278,
        "legal_name": "Peter Njeru Ndwiga",
        "slug": "peter-ndwiga"
    },
    "content": "If we have our counties concentrating on development of cotton and ginning and so forth, we will have job creation and facilities throughout our country. Clause 25 provides for application for a license by a person seeking to engage in the manufacturing and processing of cotton. The committee decided that this should be a function of the Board because in matters of exports and imports, the Board is best placed to know the quantities we have and negotiations to be done with importers of our products. Clause 31 gives the County Executive Committee Member powers to consult with cotton growers and designate cotton collection centres throughout the county. Clause 32 provides for the process of licensing persons intending to export or import cotton. Like I said earlier, licenses shall be issued by the Board because if it is left to the counties, there will be confusion in terms of the intent of this Bill. It is proposed, in Clause 37 of the Bill, that a fund to be known as the Cotton Development Fund, which shall be administered by the Board be established. For most agricultural products, if you do not have a development fund, it is difficult to move products, particularly cotton. Right now, there is a lot of confusion even within the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Co-operatives on how to develop cotton in this country. That is why the Board requires its own Fund, so that they can do research because there is need to do research on cotton varieties. The Committee undertook a vigorous public participation process and analyzed the stakeholder’s proposals and amendments, which we shall bring this House to look at. I am happy as the Chairman of the Committee to present this proposal to the Senate this afternoon. I hope that particularly Senators from areas where cotton is grown will support this Bill. One of the Government’s Big Four Agenda is manufacturing. There is no other crop which can create jobs in this country more than cotton. We visited several ginneries and co-operatives which use to process cotton in this country. Some of them not only used to gin, but do the entire process up to making clothes. We had institutions like Kisumu Cotton Mills (KICOMI). They used to make the best suits that you could ever buy anywhere in the world. In fact, they used to export. When you look around, you will realise that most Senators are wearing clothes imported from funny places, when we have the capacity to make them here in this country. Today, dairy farmers have a major problem and they articulate that through all sorts of media. The cost of a packet of milk is so high because of high cost of production. It is so because we import most of the ingredient that go into animal feed production. We import cottonseed cake from Uganda, Tanzania and sometimes from Asia. That is why production of animal feed in this country is expensive. I hope that Senators will support this Bill and that we will conclude processing of this Bill before the end of the term of this Senate. Madam Temporary Speaker, with those few remarks, I beg to move and ask Sen. Cherargei to second."
}