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{
    "id": 1166028,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1166028/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 210,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "lift billions out of poverty because of a rural transformation strategy. The same strategy that the Azimio team will apply post the elections this year. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, let me conclude by talking about regional blocs. We must encourage them and ensure sanity in their establishment and management. The Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) is one good example of a regional economic bloc that can work. So far, it has worked. I congratulate those who set it up and run it. They have very good ideas. We disagreed with them when they wanted to establish a commercial bank. We thought that the focus should be to unlock productivity in the fish, cotton, sugar and tobacco sectors. We thought they should take care of the agricultural and tourism industries first, before talking about a bank that was going to employ relatives and cronies of the officials. If they focus on productivity enhancement, they have our full support. Today, fish coming from Sindo in my county to Nairobi County, has to go through seven counties. It starts from Homa Bay to Kisii, Nyamira, Bomet, Narok, and Kiambu counties before it gets to Nairobi City. If we do not have proper regional agreements between these county governments, then you will find that fish monger has to pay taxes almost seven times along that value chain. This makes the o mena arriving in Nairobi City County more expensive than the fish that is coming from China, that is taxed at only one point of entry. I hope that the proposals by Sen. Nyamunga in establishment of regional blocs and cooperation among counties, will help us to reduce some of the tariff and non-tariff barriers that have hindered trade amongst counties. We saw an example in Elgeyo- Marakwet and Uasin Gishu counties. At some point, it was established that Uasin Gishu County was drawing its water from Elgeyo-Marakwet County. The water source was elevated and that elevation was in Elgeyo-Marakwet County. I recall when the Senate went to Eldoret for Senate Mashinani, we had a lengthy discussion with Gov. Mandago. It was on the provisions of the law that allows him to come up with an inter-county agreement, to exploit a resource that jointly benefits two counties. I have seen Sen. Nyamunga has given further effect to the idea that counties sharing a resource can exploit it jointly. For a county that has a resource that can benefit another, there can be a framework for its exploitation in a manner that benefits all the parties concerned. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I support this and congratulate Sen. Nyamunga. I pray that this Bill will be processed quickly by the National Assembly so that we also have the Nyamunga Act that established regional economic blocs and county resource development framework."
}