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{
    "id": 1159194,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1159194/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 434,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ndwiga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 278,
        "legal_name": "Peter Njeru Ndwiga",
        "slug": "peter-ndwiga"
    },
    "content": "From what the Senators have said in their contribution, it is apparent that this Bill is long overdue. The cotton industry is a giant that ought to have woken this country many years ago. I quite agree with Senator for Migori that Migori used to be a major cotton producing area. Southern Nyanza had four ginneries but none exists today. This is because production of cotton was affected after liberalization of the agricultural sector, which killed agriculture in this country. As I thank the Senators who have contributed, I wish to appeal to those who are going to become governors and our county governments that this is the time to develop and support cotton industry. You remember that in the olden days, we never used to sell raw cotton. Every product in the country had its own manufacturing sector. In Western Kenya, we had the likes of KICOM and Rivatex East Africa Limited. We also had Mount Kenya Textiles (Mountex) around Mount Kenya, including Nanyuki. That is where cotton products were being processed. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is regrettable that since the collapse of these industries, there has been no initiative to revive the cotton industry in this country. Today, the cotton industry would be employing a mammoth number of the youth. Apart from creating employment in the industries created, it would also have been an avenue for textile cottage industries. If you walk around Nairobi, you will find our ladies and gentlemen clad in regalia from West Africa and other places. During this campaign period, if you are keen, you will find both male and female politicians wearing designs from West Africa. It is a shame that many years after Independence, we have not gotten a grip of what would create major employment in this country and an avenue for national pride, in terms of designing our own costumes. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I do not wish to revisit what I said when I was moving this Bill. I wish to thank Senators who have supported this Bill. Once this Bill is assented to, I hope our county governments will take heed of what has been said here today and massively engage in cotton development where cotton can be developed because it is not everywhere. In my own county, we have a large area where cotton used to be grown. When you use Nairobi-Nyeri-Meru route, from the Sagana Bridge up to Mwea, Makima, going towards Ishiara, they used to produce a lot of cotton. It is my appeal that whichever county government is voted in this time, they will focus on cotton development. Mr Temporary Speaker Sir, for those of us who are not going to be directly involved in cotton development, we also want to make sure that the Bills and the policies which are passed by this House, are not tampered with in the next House. That is why some of us want to come back to this House so that we make sure whatever we have passed here, stays and is properly implemented. The Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has passed quite a number of crucial Bills. One of them is the mung beans, coffee and the tea Bills. Since the mandate"
}