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{
    "id": 1367814,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1367814/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 368,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Chute",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13583,
        "legal_name": "Chute Mohamed Said",
        "slug": "chute-mohamed-said"
    },
    "content": "During the colonial era, livestock keepers paid taxes on each head of cattle, goats and even camel. Sometimes I do not even understand. If a colonial Government could identify all the animals in Marsabit County and ask for taxes, today in this new era with all the technologies, our Government cannot tell where these animals are. This is something that we need to come up with. With this legislation, we can push for the local and the national Government to work hand in hand and support this programme. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, livestock is a devolved function. Sometimes I wonder why the Ministry that caters for agriculture and livestock is in Nairobi City. I know our President is keen on devolving these functions. I am honestly asking the President to speed up so that we will have the functions in the counties and this legislative procedure our able Senator is trying to support to be helping us in our counties. There are abattoirs. What he has said about abattoir recording, I want to only add on that issue of abattoir. When the animals come in, the vehicle's identification should be recorded so that you know this vehicle you have the registration plate, and the owner so that you identify where the vehicle ferried these animals from. It is very important. In Kenya today, we have got livestock traders, affluent people in Voi, Mwingi and even Kitui area. These are not normal herders. They are livestock traders. Each person can trade up to 10,000 to 20,000 heads of cattle. If what Sen. Cherarkey is trying to propose is that you identify animals, these people are not paying taxes and we have got traders to a tune of even 100 of them. Today there are 100 traders' businessmen rearing cattle in Voi each having 10,000 that is thousands of animals and with what he is proposing, that means all animal owners and keepers will be identified and even their cattle will be known this person has this much head of cattle. If a kiosk owner today pays taxes and somebody in Voi is keeping 10,000 heads of cattle, can you imagine that this guy is not paying any taxes? I want to urge our friend here Sen. Cherarkey, in this Bill, he must put something there that will curtail a livestock trader; a billionaire not paying taxes and somebody who is a kiosk owner is paying taxes for the guy who is a billionaire. So, I will ask my able friend Sen. Cherarkey to ensure that this identification should be done all over Kenya. We have a county government in Voi. If a colonial governor was able to identify Marsabit County had how many heads of cattle and who are the owners in the 1950s, who is going to tell me today a digital Kenyan Government cannot be able to identify and control animal keeping in a place like Voi? On the issue of cattle rustling, you remember about two weeks ago, the Cabinet Secretary hon. (Prof) Kindiki was before us and I raised this issue. It was in regard to guns by the Kenya Police Reservists (KPR). People in Nairobi, Nanyuki, Meru and other parts of Kenya today do not need guns to protect their animals because we do not have raiders and poachers even in our place. These people use guns; they even poach. That time when the Cabinet Secretary was before us, I asked him what is he going to do to make sure that those KPR guns can be identified in terms of ballistic and in terms of---"
}