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{
    "id": 1278476,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1278476/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 195,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tigania West, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) John K Mutunga",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "countries, we rely on information given by their competent authorities, which are recognised internationally. We received presentations from: Council of Governors (COG), the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, the State Department for Crop Development, the Pest Control and Produce Board (PCPB), the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), the State Department for Livestock Development, the Kenya Plants Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Nature of Kenya, and the Kenya Association of Manufactures (KAM). Some of these bodies are competent authorities. The reason to have competent authorities to coordinating functioning is that, in the past, some of them have claimed to play certain roles that others play too thus resulting in duplication of functions. The other important issue is that we need to control feed safety because lack of it may lead to the consumption of harmful food by human beings. We need to be sure that the feed fed to our animals is safe. A classic example is aflatoxin, which is a fungal infestation. Aflatoxin toxicants can affect human beings. If we feed our animals on mouldy grain, they are most likely to pass those fungi to us. On the other hand, zoonotic diseases affect both human beings and animals. Diseases related to feeding which are zoonotic need to be contained because of feed safety. In other words, feed safety is food safety. The food fed to our animals may at the end of the day affect us. Globally, some institutions are charged with the responsibility of ensuring food safety. In this respect, we have Codex Alimentarius, which Kenya subscribes to. Subscribing to the Codex Alimentarius ensures that Kenya’s competent authorities are recognised. Counties cannot do business directly without passing through the national Government because competent authorities are single in a nation. We do not have more than one competent authority in a country handling a specific issue. We cannot have competent authorities in all the counties. Therefore, coordination in Government is important in export and imports. Consultations were rife on many issues concerning food and feed safety issues. The discussions revealed that there has been confusion. Therefore, this Bill comes in to clear the confusion in the handling of food safety control. The establishment of the office of Food and Feed Safety Controller is important. The office will regulate all the competent authorities. This office is not going to be a competent authority in itself. It will be an institution that will oversee the functions of all the competent authorities by ensuring that food and feed issues are taken care of. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I support this Bill."
}