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{
    "id": 132469,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/132469/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 558,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Letimalo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 68,
        "legal_name": "Raphael Lakalei Letimalo",
        "slug": "raphael-letimalo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this Vote of the Ministry of Livestock Development. I will start by thanking the Minister and his entire team for steering the Ministry well despite the enormous problems that they have been facing like inadequate staff, inadequate means of transport and low funding. Statistics show that over 60 per of all livestock in Kenya is found in Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASAL) areas and employs about 90 per cent of our global population. However, the ASAL areas also have unique characteristics because they experience frequent drought and severe famine which have devastating effects on pastoral communities due to loss of their livestock. Long after the drought, the pastoralists are left without sufficient livestock to sustain their livelihood. Therefore, I want to suggest to the Minister - this was brought when we were discussing the National Livestock Policy - that there is need to come up with a livestock insurance agency so that they can cater for restocking and other recovery programmes. I am saying so because of the same reasons that my colleague has talked about. When farming communities experience crop failure due to poor rains or as result of drought, the Government comes in handy to provide them with free fertilizer and free seeds. At the moment, nothing is given to the livestock keeping communities. Through the insurance schemes, the livestock farmers will also benefit. Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, equally important, just like what happens to farming communities, institutions like the Agricultural Finance Corporation should provide credit facilities to farmers. However, there is no consideration that is given to livestock farmers. I think it is necessary that the Minister and his team, and I know that they have the capacity to do it, come up with arrangements where livestock farmers can be advanced with such facilities so that they can do restocking. I do appreciate that in his speech, the Minister has really emphasized on animal disease control. We do know that, that greatly contributes to low productivity and poor sustainability of livestock. We remember the effects of the outbreak of PPR. Those of us who come from those areas were really affected. My extended family lost over 300 goats. It is for the same reason that we have been going to the Minister and raising Questions in"
}