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{
    "id": 1353056,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1353056/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 272,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "One of my biggest pet peeves is when you see legislation that forms boards that are given powers to set up regulations. When they do, they propose levies to fund the board. I wanted to begin there before I get into the merits and demerits of this Bill. Today, Kenyans are bleeding. Every piece of legislation has an element of fees; there is the KEBS and all these other authorities. This is the first Bill that will be funded directly by the Exchequer, which is progressive. This Bill has introduced an element that most Bills are forgetting. Yesterday, I raised concerns about a Bill that gives so much power to the national Government and takes it away from the county government, yet agriculture is devolved. This Bill gives county governments a clear role in ensuring the safety of food and feeds in this country. I was going through the Bill and looking at the mandatory elements that it should have. One is the risk analysis. Are we sure of the food we are eating in this country and the feeds we are feeding our animals? What goes in goes out. You end up consuming whatever you feed the animals. I am speaking about this with experience. If you traverse this beautiful country called Kenya, you will find dairy farmers who import animal feeds from our neighbouring countries of Uganda and Tanzania. If we are not careful to use the right toxin binders, we will find levels of aflatoxin that are above 600 in the sample of the milk produced. They are not good for human consumption. It is important to be clear in terms of regulatory standards. If a company is producing or processing food, they have to abide by certain regulatory standards. They have to be clear from the county level and not from some office in Westlands or Industrial Area where they are paid a fee and informed of the standards. This must be inculcated in the culture of production. When it comes to the issue of aflatoxins, what levels are good and how can you control this? Anything below 100 would be perfect. Although the standards in this country are below 500, we should focus on our feeds to make sure we have looked at what we are feeding our cows, ensure we have standards that county government officials can traverse their regions, see the production, and have standards to measure. Before the food leaves the area, it should abide by the set standards. Without this piece of legislation, we do not have this kind of proposal. We see trucks carrying milk, but we have not found out the level of antibiotics and hydrogen peroxide in the milk. Is there any frothing and has it passed or not? These are basic and important things. Most unscrupulous farmers are guilty of this. They feed a cow and it produces five litres of milk. When they are going to sell that milk, they think that it is too little and they add another two litres of water. It is ridiculous. Madam Temporary Speaker, this Bill gives county governments a role to play. However, the role must demystify what they need to do instead of just saying that - “at the end of the year, a report is produced on conducting a verification audit and its determination by the competent authority.” Now, the competent authority is clearly defined as a- “public institution responsible for official control set out in the first schedule.”"
}