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{
"id": 1278530,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1278530/?format=api",
"text_counter": 249,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mandera West, UDM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Yusuf Adan",
"speaker": null,
"content": "problem the dangerous DDT pesticide, or how to put together food and feed? Food and feed cannot be put together. These need two different Bills. Food involves sowing a seed, using pesticides, nurturing the plants, harvesting the crop, transporting it, storing it, and packaging it. All these stages require safety measures. For us to get quality, healthy, and safe food, safety measures must be put in place at every stage. In supporting my friend, we have laws for all these processes. Our biggest problem is the implementation of our laws to the letter. It is not creating new laws. When it comes to feed, you grow animal feed, like nappier grass, chop it into small pieces and feed animals. All these processes are not there. However, we need to look at the quality and safety of feed. For example, if you want to feed your animals on silage, you will cut some greens, put them under pressure, roll them out, measure the temperature at every stage, sprinkle water, add molasses, and cover it up. When you harvest it, you must remove it every other time and check its safety before you feed your animals. So, these are two different sciences. Why are we combining the two sciences in one Bill? One is animal science, and the other is human science. If you combine these two, you will ultimately fail to perform properly, or you will end up with two competent authorities fighting over it. One competent authority will say, “No, it is this,” and the other will say, “No, it is that.” This is because the two competent authorities have different objectives but have been put together. If this Bill goes through, I foresee the Ministry of Health and its competent authorities having a rift with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock with its competent authorities. What we need here – whether it is food or feed – is to put the right quantity, quality, and safety in place. If you put garbage in, you will get garbage out. We cannot export some of our products to the European market and other international markets because of our sanitary processes, which need to be seriously considered. We have competent people. Our biggest problem is corruption and lack of implementation of the already existing laws. We are not implementing our laws because of corruption. I remember very well when we got orders to export our camels through the Port of Mombasa. After making two trips, we could not do it anymore because of corruption by our veterinarians. We diverted it. Today, Kenya’s camels from the North-Eastern region are exported to the Arab world through the Port of Berbera, Somaliland, because of corruption in Kenya. We have laws, but they are not implemented. So, we must seriously consider this and separate food from feed. When the Bill gets to the Committee of the Whole House, I will propose an amendment to split the Bill into two distinct Bills. It is not the first time we are debating this Bill. In the 12th Parliament, a similar Bill was brought to the House. It was discussed, and Members disagreed. The Ministry of Health wanted it to stay as it was because they wanted to control the bigger thing, including food and feed, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock wanted to control animal feed quality, quantity, processes, and safety. The animal digestive system and the human digestive system are different. Most of our livestock, except a few, are ruminants with four-chambered stomachs. So, what they need is quite different from what human beings need. Human beings have simple stomached, and what they need is something lean. Therefore, the Bill may be good, but it has to be split to have two separate Bills for food and feed. With those remarks, I support."
}