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{
    "id": 1347424,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1347424/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 296,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you were presiding on that day, when we talked about mechanization of tea farms. I call upon the sponsor of the Bill to put an amendment during Third Reading, because we need to agree to what extent we can mechanize tea farms. The more we continue mechanizing tea farms, the more we continue losing labour for the young people. After an incident in Brooke in Kericho, many young people were taken to court after incidences of burning houses. Is that a solution to such? We need to agree. Should we mechanize 40 per cent and leave 60 per cent to manual labour? Should we mechanize 20 per cent and leave 80 per cent to manual labour, so that we balance? Where will these young people go if they cannot pluck tea in Nandi, Kericho and Bomet counties? It is unfortunate that the multinationals have taken a hard stance. Many young people around Brooke area in Ainamoi, in Kericho, are suffering the consequences of what they did not know. I know what happened might not be condoned because it is not what we expect. Can we agree? I would like the Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare to take the lead. That is what the Senate Majority Leader was saying here. Let the Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare give us pragmatic solutions. Go to these tea farms and ask them - where is the International Labour Organization Charter that says, 40 per cent should mechanized and 60 per cent to be left to our young people? I hope the multinationals who moved to Court as complainants when our young people were arrested in Kericho County are listening. They should at least withdraw those cases for the benefit and unity of the community, so that we can move together, as one people, one nation. Finally, I agree that we have Tea Levy. It will allow price stabilization. During bonus, people in Nandi County ask me, why is Meru County getting higher bonuses than Nandi County? Why is Mount Kenya getting more bonuses than Kericho or Bomet counties? I am happy that this Tea Levy will be a stabilizing fund allowing stabilization of prices. Another issue of this levy is the establishment of the Tea Research Foundation. This will allow extension of research. We are seeing introduction of purple tea and hope it will gain market. We will do research to find out if it is good tea to grow. Is it valuable? Does it fetch better prices? This is what we want to Tea Levy Fund to do. To do more research, give extension services and ensure that we plant tea that is commensurate with the soil type. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when I speak about tea, I get emotional because it is the livelihood of my people. I feel I am now in my real element. On infrastructure, I have talked to the County Assembly of Nandi about the Cess money that is given for infrastructure. Why do they not form local communities and give the cess money to remain with the tea factories, within the local community to maintain roads? The roads in Nandi County, where tea is grown are in pathetic condition because the cess money has been given to a county government which uses it to do other things."
}