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{
    "id": 1282224,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1282224/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 270,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Muhoroni, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. James K’oyoo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the consideration. I take this opportunity to thank Hon. Wangwe and laud him for his consistency. Why do I say so? Sugar has a lot of complications and vested interests - both contracted and protracted. I was lucky to be a Member of this House during the 12th Parliament. The Bill we are canvassing here today was ably canvassed in the 12th Parliament, discharged fruitfully from this House and taken to the Senate. Sugar is an agricultural product and agriculture is a devolved function. Unfortunately, and contrary to what my fellow Members think - that the Bill was disabled because of time shortage - it was because of protracted interests. Those who had vested interests in the two industries were against it. They used their good connections in the Senate to stall it and ensured that it was eventually killed. That is why we are where we are today. I thank Hon. Wangwe for reviving this Bill. I implore on all Members who mean well for this country that this Bill means so well for the hoi polloi, who are the sugarcane farmers in our rural areas. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I represent people whose interests are sugarcane farming, sugar milling, and others who work in the sugar industry. They are too many. When the sugar industry was booming, the livelihood was good and people were very happy. Unfortunately, disorder was created temporarily by the ruling mandarins, so that they could have excuses to make quick money from sugar imports. As at the time of canvassing this issue in Parliament, a disorder had been created in the sugar industry. The body that governs the sugar industry called The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) unilaterally came up with a directive without requisite room for people to discuss it - that all the sugar factories were going to be closed, which was good enough to enable sugarcane to mature for the betterment of the industry now and in the future. Unfortunately, when the public factories were closed, one private miller was allowed to continue with the milling exercise, which he is doing to-date. This will create a lot of chaos in the sugar industry, more so in the Nyando sugar belt. I want to use this podium to ask AFA to make sure that they rein in those who are disregarding this directive. They should also make sure that consideration is given to all participants in the sugar industry in the future. I believe we will pass this Bill, just like we did last time. Once the Bill is passed, we will make sure that it brings a lot of improvements because we will restore the Kenya Sugar Board. When the Board was active, whenever the factories had challenges, they would go there and appeal for funding, which they would get easily because the Board had money from the Sugar Development Fund (SDF). The SDF money was deducted from the proceeds of sugarcane deliveries by farmers. This was discontinued when the Kenya Sugar Board was disbanded. With its reinvention, this will be sustained."
}