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{
    "id": 1354776,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1354776/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 130,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Thang’wa",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "What do I mean by that? Before I sell my cow to be slaughtered, at that particular time, I should first be required to register so that there is documentation at the slaughterhouse whereby, if I want to know how many animals were slaughtered today, I would go to a slaughterhouse and they can give some documentation. However, we should not make it mandatory because if I have two cows and they are just for a cup of milk, especially in central Kenya--- let me talk about Kiambu County where we do not have this issue of cattle rustling. So, we should not make it mandatory. Let us make it voluntary. If you own cows and you want to protect them, you should register them. If you feel you are in an area where you are going to lose your cows for whatever reason, register those cows. When the county registers your animals, what other services are they giving you? Why are we telling them to register? For what reason? Are they helping you in fighting banditry? Are they helping you to protect against theft? So why are we telling them to just register? We are supposed to tell the county that, if I am giving you my money to register my cows, help me protect them. We are in the middle of technology. If you have a thousand cattle, you can use GPS tracking system. The county should provide that to several cows randomly so that when they are stolen, they will easily be tracked. Something else that requires to be done is education. We need to change the mindset of our people. Cattle rustling existed between the Kikuyus and the Maasais in the 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s, but it ended. We need to research why it ended instead of reinventing the wheel. My grandfather used to tell us that they had to encourage intermarriages between the two communities, and probably it worked. I am not suggesting that now, but if it worked, it can work again in those communities that are doing whatever they are doing. They also encouraged reserve and farming. You have to farm for your animals for them to get pasture. So, what we require is not necessarily a law for the farmers or a law for those who are keeping animals. All we need to do is, whoever is dealing with the animals at the slaughterhouses is the one who is supposed to be told that you cannot have an animal that is not registered. In that case, they will never slaughter anything that is not registered, and then at that particular time, the owner of the livestock should register them before they sell. However, if you are not planning to sell, why do I have to register my livestock? Why do I have to brand it? Why do I need it if maybe I have only two cows? So, I implore my good friend, Sen. Cherarkey, that what this law is requiring us to do, or counties to do, is to provide logbooks for animals. That is what it is saying, that every animal should have a logbook so that when you sell it, there is a sale agreement to show that it is moving from one place to another. This should be voluntary so that you guard your livestock. The burden should be left to that particular person who feels threatened. You go and register your animals, brand them and colour them, until you feel that you are protected. But if you give it to everybody, this will allow the counties to harass our people."
}