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{
    "id": 1341664,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1341664/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 267,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Githunguri, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Gathoni Wamuchomba",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I am humbled and glad for the opportunity to debate the Statue Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill (National Assembly Bill No.60 of 2022). I am excited that we are re-looking at various Statutes that govern this country. I will focus more on the Co-operative Societies Act of 1997. I represent a county and a constituency that is made up of many co-operative societies like Githunguri Dairies, which is a milk-based co-operative society. I am sure that the House honours Githunguri for our brilliance in the management of dairy animals and the exemplary management of dairy societies. That notwithstanding, allow me to concentrate on coffee matters, a sub-sector that I am very passionate about because I come from a coffee-growing home. We have had many issues surrounding co-operative societies relating to coffee farming in Kenya, specifically in the Central Region of Kenya, where coffee is a prime cash crop. In my constituency, we have had serious allegations of mismanagement of co-operative societies. The regulations that govern the elections of officials who manage these co-operative societies, the regulations and rules that govern the operations of management committees, and the term limits given under the Co- operative Societies Act make it completely difficult for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the EACC to nab those who have taken advantage of our farmers. As we speak, I have a very serious issue in my constituency with one of the coffee co- operative societies where farmers lost money to the tune of Ksh19 million last year. We have tried to mobilise farmers to go to EACC to follow up on this matter, but each time we are limited by the existence of the conflicting statutes between the Co-operative Societies Act of 1997 and the operations of the EACC. I am also very excited because in the past, many co-operative societies have crumbled with a lot of assets belonging to the ‘bottom-up community’. Farmers have died claiming to own property that crumbled because of a few individuals currently known as management committees. Hon. Temporary Speaker, even after we are done with this Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, we can go a few steps backward and get to know how we can help our farmers. As a woman leader representing Githunguri Constituency and one who has actively spoken against matters sexual violence, I am very excited with the proposal on the Sexual Offences Act (No.3 of 2006). If there is an area where justice is never delivered, then it is in the area of sexual violence in this country. I happen to have followed up a particular case in 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."
}