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{
    "id": 1201863,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1201863/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 117,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Maanzo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13589,
        "legal_name": "Maanzo Daniel Kitonga",
        "slug": "maanzo-daniel-kitonga"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Sen. Cherarkey has become an expert of raising Standing Orders which he does not quote. However, let me go on with my contribution so that he does not interrupt me. I believe this is also for his own benefit. Having been a Member of Parliament longer than him, I believe I am familiar with this topic because I was also a Member of the Committee on Agriculture. The effect of lifting of a ban allows any business person who wishes to carry out that kind of business in this country. All I am saying is that we have a Constitution which provides for consumer protection. That is a practice world over. We all want to be safe knowing what cancer has done to many people in the world, what causes it and the medication thereof which is not found at all. There are only pain relivers from substances that Prof. Wajackoyah is familiar with in the USA. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have to be cautious as a country because we have young and old people who should be allowed to make a choice. We also have another practice in the world where people want to stay healthy by feeding well. In many jurisdictions, they even protect fish because of herbicides and all that. I have evidence that GMOs require more herbicides than the normal plants. Once you plant, the seed cannot be replanted because it cannot not germinate at all. That is the effect of genetic modification and genetic engineering. We want to have enough food in the nation. That does not mean that we do not have sufficient supply in the country. This Senate is concerned with issues affecting the counties. When short rains come, farmers should have proper seeds. The farmers in the Rift Valley where Sen. Cherarkey comes from have a lot of maize in their stores. The Government should take the initiative to buy that maize from the people of Rift Valley and supply it to all Kenyans. In his speech, the President talked about insufficient water. In Makueni, we are doing Thwake Dam which will supply water for irrigation in many parts of Kitui, Makueni, Kajiado and Machakos counties. There is also another irrigation project called Galana Kulalu. We have River Tana and River Athi flowing into the Indian Ocean. The water should be used by counties such as Tana River and Kilifi. That way, we can produce a lot of food. If Israel can grow food in a desert, we can grow a lot of food in this country if we utilise our water well without necessarily investing in GMOs. In fact, the whole world will come and buy our food because organic food is more expensive, but with a lot of demand in the world than any other food. For us to be food sufficient and sell the excess"
}