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{
    "id": 1356388,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1356388/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 207,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "“Mr. Speaker, Sir, we were told about the question of subsidizing the price of fertilizers. Now, it is public record that, in fact, some of these subsidized fertilizers came to this country as a donation from the Government of Russia.” The post from the Russian Embassy’s X platform states as follow- “More than 34,000 tonnes of fertilizer donated to Kenya by the Russian Uralchem-Uralkali Group are now being reformulated to produce 100,200 tonnes of fertilizer. This will help Kenya a lot to get a good harvest this year.” Hon. Senators, while it is clear that there was a donation of fertilizer from the Russian Uralchem-Uralkali Group to Kenya, no nexus is shown between the donation referred to and subsidized fertilizer as alleged by Sen. Sifuna. To meet the test of substantiation, Sen. Sifuna needed to show a link between the donation and subsidized fertilizer. He has not. The final document tabled was the Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Central Bank of Kenya for Financial Year 2022/2023. This document indicates the financial position and performance of the banking industry in Kenya. It was presumably presented to buttress the contents of the newspaper articles in support of the allegation that the default rate of the Hustler Fund was higher than that of commercial banks. Needless to say, the purported substantiation by use of newspaper articles, having been disallowed, this supporting document similarly collapses. In any case, I see no connection nor reference made to the Hustler Fund and any comparison between the Hustler Fund and regular commercial lenders in the Central Bank Report. Hon, Senators, accordingly, I find and rule as follows- (1) In respect of the challenge by Sen. Chute to substantiate the claim relating to fertilizer, Sen. Sifuna has tabled evidence to show that indeed some fertilizer was donated to this country, but he has failed to establish any link between that donation and subsidized fertilizer. Therefore, this claim has not been substantiated. (2) In respect of the challenge by Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale to substantiate the claim that it was not true that the Government had employed 103 Community Health Promoters (CHPs), Sen. Sifuna did not table any evidence or provide any explanation to substantiate this claim as was required. The claim was accordingly not substantiated. (3) In respect of the challenge by Sen. Veronica Maina to substantiate the statement that default rates of the loans borrowed under the Hustler Fund are higher than the ones of the commercial banks, again, Sen. Sifuna did not table evidence to support this claim. The claim was accordingly not substantiated. Hon. Senators, following the tabling of the documents by Sen. Sifuna and in accordance with my findings, in relation to the admissibility or otherwise of these documents, and the failure to meet the threshold of substantiation in respect of the claims made, I now require Sen. Sifuna, pursuant to Standing Order No.105 (2), to withdraw and apologise, in respect of the claims that- 1. Some of the subsidized fertilizer came into the country as a donation from the Government of Russia; 2. It was not true that the Government had employed 103 CHPs."
}