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"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale",
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"content": "On 8th December, 2023, this week, the Senate will proceed to a recess to mark the end of the Second Session of the current Parliament, a year and two months after the hotly contested 2022 General Elections. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am truly grateful to the people of Kakamega County who voted me in as their Senator, with more than 300,000 votes. I am grateful to the Speaker of the Senate and the Senate membership in general, including the staff who have made our work a stunning success. In particular, I thank fellow Senators who have allowed and supported me in the discharge of my responsibilities as the Majority Whip. Ladies and gentlemen, colleague Senators, I thank you. To the people of Kakamega County, I would like to address them on the following- 1. The Mumias Sugar Company, the sugarcane growing sector and the sugar industry; 2. Road infrastructure; 3. Kakamega Teaching and Referral Hospital; 4. Housing; and, 5. Kakamega Airstrip. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as we all know, the sugar industry has gone through very difficult times. Sugarcane farmers continue to endure difficulties very well known to us, ranging from the high cost of farm inputs, expensive labour, low payment per ton of produce, difficulties in accessing harvest permits and corruption within the industry. I have fought against all these challenges with support from some of our elected Members of Parliament (MPs). I am glad to inform you that the future looks bright. I thank Butali and West Kenya Sugar companies who have been accommodative of some of our demands and requests for the betterment of the sugar industry. I thank Mr. Sarbi Rai, the new investor of Mumias Sugar Company, for the zeal he has demonstrated for revival of Mumias Sugar Company. He has put the nucleus estate under cane and on 1st December, 2023, the new investor has started crushing cane. We are, indeed, grateful. Further, I thank the President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E Hon. (Dr.) William Samoei Ruto for his support in stamping out cartels from the sugar industry and writing off the debts amounting to Kshs117 billion that were owed by the sugar companies. This has allowed the companies to start on a clean slate. Allow me to say, we will never forget that mambo matatu was born in Kakamega. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am pleased that as we go on recess, Butali and West Kenya Sugar companies have announced an increased payment rate of Kshs6,020 per tonne of harvested cane and delivered by our farmers, with a commitment that farmers be paid within seven days of delivery. I am even more grateful to the new investor in Mumias Sugar Company who has announced a higher payment rate of Kshs6,030 per tonne. Similarly, I wish to congratulate the investor in Mumias Sugar Company for his unprecedented cane development programme as evidenced by the thousands of acres of nuclear farm that he has put under cane development. I wish to note that the Senate is The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}