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{
    "id": 1284802,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1284802/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 151,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Molo, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kuria Kimani",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "subsequent sugar shortages in the country. It has also negatively impacted cane development by millers because they fear losing their investment. The Kenya Sugar Research Foundation (KESREF) has no funding. The Managing Director of KESREF demonstrated that they have researched cane varieties that should be grown in sugarcane-growing areas. In addition, they have a cane variety that can mature in less than 12 months. However, sugar mills in sugarcane-growing areas give cane farmers cane seeds that take 24 to 36 months to mature. There is no way that any subsistence sugarcane farmer will wait 24 months for the cane to mature before they get their return on investment. Therefore, one of our recommendations is a bigger budgetary allocation to KESREF so that they continue to develop cane that has a shorter maturity period for uptake by farmers. All five public sugar mills are faced with financial difficulties. In the absence of a good legislative regulatory environment, their operations have been greatly hindered. Therefore, the joint Committee agreed on the following: This House approves the leasing model for the five state-owned sugar companies within the provisions of Public Private Partnerships Act No.14 of 2021. The provisions of the leasing model should and must include the following: 1. THAT, the lease shall be for a period not exceeding 30 years pursuant to Section 21(2) of the Public Private Partnerships Act, No.14 of 2021 for the sugar mills and the nucleus estates presently owned by the state-owned sugar companies, whereby the nucleus land shall only be used for cane development and cannot be used for collateral by the lessees. Farmers expressly said that that was their ancestral land and that there was no way they would give it up to anybody. Therefore, at the end of the lease, that ancestral land has to revert to the communities because it is their birth right. 2. THAT, at the expiry of the lease period, the land will revert to the original owners. 3. The National Treasury will cost the assessment of the lease, and it shall be done every five years to ensure that the lessees have adhered to the terms of the lease so that it can be renewed. They were concerned that the lessee could lease the farm and not agree to this particular proposition. Considering the long lease period of 30 years, they recommended a review of the lease agreement every five years. 4. THAT, the lessees shall modernise the sugar mills by installing new machines and technologies to revive the companies, improve the financial well-being of farmers, create employment both directly and indirectly, and increase Government revenue. 5. THAT, the lessees shall specify the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities that they will set up in the local communities as a requirement for the award of the lease. They remembered with nostalgia how those sugar mills provided health services, schools, and academies. Some even had golf courses and well-maintained roads. They wanted to know whether the lessees would carry out those CSR activities so that they could have what they used to have and even much better. 6. THAT, the lease must contain a clause that will facilitate the fate of current workers in sugar factories. The fate of workers currently working in mills was a great point of consideration. 7. THAT, the leasing process shall be clearly outlined and shall include stakeholders' engagement. 8. THAT, this exercise should be carried out after public participation and with the involvement of farmers. 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."
}