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{
    "id": 1279516,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1279516/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 573,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Navakholo, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Emmanuel Wangwe",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Speaker, the principal objective of this Bill is to reinstate the Sugar Act, which was repealed through the enactment of the Crops Acts, 2013. The enactment of the Bill shall restore the role of Kenya Sugar Board, which is currently undertaken by the Sugar Directorate (AFFA) established under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority Act, 2013. Since the repeal of the Kenya Sugar Board in 2013, ineffective stewardship of the sugar industry by the AFFA has contributed to the following: 1. Rampant non-payment of farmers by public sugar mills. 2. Increased cost of sugar production. 3. Decline in land acreage under sugar. 4. Lack of market for sugar. 5. Failure to control imports and exports of sugar. 6. Poor management of sugar companies. 7. Lack of research and cane development initiatives. I know that my colleagues will ask why there is lack of market for sugar, yet there is no sugar in the market today. What is positive of it is the automatic negative of a situation as it comes. Today, the Government has opted to lock down all sugar mills in anticipation of the canes being ready for harvesting. There will be an oversupply of cane and an overproduction of sugar. Given the current situation, we will have too much sugar that will not have a market. If we do not regulate it today, we will get it wrong tomorrow. With the re-establishment of the Kenya Sugar Board, we will have the following institutions: the Sugar Development Levy and the Sugar Development Fund. Establishing the Kenya Sugar Research Institute shall address the challenges to save the dying sector. It will look at the issues of the sugar companies. Miwani Sugar Company and Muhoroni Sugar Company died in 2001. Mumias Sugar Company went under in 2019. When I say that a company died, it means that it went into receivership. Sony Sugar Company and Nzoia Sugar Company are operating at low capacity. These three institutions are being established in this Bill. The negatives I have highlighted on how AFFA has failed shall only be cured through institutions. When we talk about lack of research and cane development, it is an issue of raising resources. We will have Sugar Development Levy, a resource that will be used at various levels, as shown in the forthcoming discussions. As we are aware, agriculture is one of the devolved functions performed by the county governments. The Bill segregates the functions of the Board and those of the county government. One of the key roles of the county government is to establish an efficient road network for the movement of sugarcane, delivery of other services, and general development of the sugar industry. Looking at what is happening today with AFFA, it does not get to the farmers directly. There is a total vacuum. It does not address anything about the farmers. It has left the farmers on their own. There are issues with the rural roads, which are access roads in the various villages. There is also the issue of the general development of the sugar industry, which is agronomy. We used to see a lot of inspectors supervising agricultural farms. We want them to come back. This will be enabled through this Bill. Once most millers lift the sugarcane from the farms, they do not bother to fix the roads until the next harvest. The 45 per cent allocation of Sugar Development Levy to infrastructure development will reduce the character. I thank the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock for taking the time to do public participation on this Bill, which has improved my proposal. The Report accommodates everyone. If you read it, you will discover how it is disputing this resource of the Sugar Development Levy. Those who grew up in the village recall the Government of Kenya (GK) motorbikes rode by Government Agricultural and Extension officers offering extension training to farmers. This is an additional function that has been given to the county governments. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}