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{
    "id": 1159165,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1159165/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 405,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13188,
        "legal_name": "Getrude Musuruve Inimah",
        "slug": "getrude-musuruve-inimah"
    },
    "content": "curtains for the houses, fishing nets and other things. The clothes and underwear that we wear are made of cotton. The clothes that are made of cotton are more expensive than other materials. I am defending this Bill because if it is executed and sees the light at the end of the tunnel, we shall benefit as a country. We must be alive to the fact that one of the Big Four Agenda is manufacturing. So, if we are able to manufacture our own cotton and clothes, it will be a plus for this country. We have to see to it that we are not always consumers of products. We should not always be ready to import. Many are times, I see people importing products from China and other countries and this boost their economies. If we are able to produce our own, it will be a win-win situation for us. This is because farmers will come on board and will be paid for their work. Machine operators, drivers, accountants, sweepers and people of other carders will be employed. One thing I like about the Bill is that it gives status to the industry. The board will be composed of people who have an education; well-read and informed. The cotton industry needs to be a big manufacturing industry which is a big employer. Some years back, KICOMI and the rest were employing quite a number of Kenyans. However, when they collapsed, they were unable to provide for their significant others. Revival of this industry will ensure that it is not only the farmers that will benefit but also the traders because they will be able to sell the processed goods and by-products. There is need to ensure that the objects of the Bill are followed to the latter. When this Bill comes into fold, Kenya will become a global competitive market. When you go out of the country, you realize that people really love Kenyan products. We must be happy about our own. When we buy cotton clothes from Kenya, we are building Kenya. We must be egocentric when it comes to protecting our own economically and financially. The objects of this Bill are well meaning. We want to be competitive in the globally market. If this industry is managed well, farmers will get high incomes. Many times, we have talked about the collapse of some industries in the country such as the sugar industry. We must diversify so that Kenyan farmers see what suits them best. That is, whether they will plant maize, sugarcane, cotton or flowers depending on the climate and land. Let us encourage our farmers wherever they are. This is because they play a big role in of building the economy and contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). I congratulate the farmers in Kenya because they put in a lot. They look at the climate and know when they are supposed to plant. They plant on their own will; they are not obliged or forced by anyone. They also create employment in the neighborhood by employing people and tractors to weed the farms. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, even as we talk about the cotton industry, we must know that there is value addition. For example, the wool and the seeds require value addition. Seeds have value because oil can be extracted from them. When reviving the cotton industry, there is need to ensure that all the by-products are utilised well for the purpose of ensuring that we get maximum benefits."
}