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{
    "id": 1159167,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1159167/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 407,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13188,
        "legal_name": "Getrude Musuruve Inimah",
        "slug": "getrude-musuruve-inimah"
    },
    "content": "I am happy about the Bill because it obligates county governments to play a role. When the two levels of government are involved and have a role to play, then this industry will mushroom and it will be of benefit to all Kenyans. Mr. Temporary Speaker, according to this Bill, relevant county governments will need to have a register of cotton farmers which is important. Apart from cotton farmers, even those dealing in businesses to do with cotton will be required to be registered. If they are registered and licensed, then there will be sobriety in the industry and we will not have a situation where middlemen exploit farmers. County governments must ensure that they protect cotton farmers by identifying them. When cotton is harvested, it should be weighed and the farmer compensated for his work. Cotton seeds can be used to extract oil and used for other beauty products. A farmer also needs to gain from that because many times farmers are exploited from their hard work. You will find joyriders and people who are good at calculating how to get money from farmers benefitting. When county governments ensure that farmers are brought on board, compensated and encouraged, it will be a win-win situation. We have to look for ways of enticing farmers to do what they do. They need to get incentives. Fertiliser is also important. Sometimes you will find farmers planting maize but they cannot afford fertiliser. When prices of fertiliser are high, it becomes a big issue for the farmers. For example, a bag of fertiliser is going for Kshs6,000. A bag of fertiliser may just be used for maybe half or at most one acre, but you will find that some farmers have 10 acres. The Government should protect and help farmers because Kenya, which I really love, is among the countries that signed and ratified the Maputo Declaration that affirmed that 10 per cent of the national revenue should go to agriculture. If 10 per cent of the national revenue goes to agriculture, it means that when money is disbursed to counties, county executives need to consider agriculture. Even as they bring farmers on board, there is need for county executives to ensure that they set aside funds for farmers when they come up with County Annual Development Plans (CADPs). There is need to have an advisory board for cotton farming, so that it advises the executive on how to make cotton industry enticing and ensure it is productive. There is no need of reviving cotton industry only to have it collapse again. We have to avert a situation where it will start and collapse, like it did some years back. KIKOMI was there. It was doing very well but it eventually collapsed. My mother, Ms. Damaris, worked at Maridadi Fabrics, which is the one I am talking about but it also collapsed. We do not want it to collapse. For the purpose of posterity, let us pass this Bill because it has worked well and it will help our generations. I support this Bill and I hope that it will see the light at the end of the tunnel."
}