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{
    "id": 1379045,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1379045/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 151,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Linturi",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 69,
        "legal_name": "Franklin Mithika Linturi",
        "slug": "franklin-linturi"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me admit that it is true that the gentleman by the name Samuel Onyango Ong’ow was nominated as a member to represent the sugar sector in the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Board. The process of getting to the AFA Board is a long one. I have never seen any other participatory and consultative process like that. We advertise, people apply, they are vetted, interviewed and subsequently names are forwarded to me for appointment. To cut the story short, the appointment of Samuel Ong’ow was a subject matter of Judicial Review No.045 of 2023. In this case, the courts at that time suspended or annulled his appointment in the AFA Board. However, after looking at the issues that the courts raised and recognizing the importance of the membership of a sugar representative in the AFA Board, I have initiated processes of making sure I regularize the appointment of Mr. Samuel Ong’ow to the Board. When this matter was before court, the Office of the Attorney-General represented the Ministry and was properly versed with this matter. After the case was done with and trying to initiate process to regularize, just for ensuring that we were in order, I wrote to the Attorney-General of the Republic of Kenya on 31st January, 2024. It is a normal practice of giving him an update of what we had decided to do as a Ministry. I did not have a problem with the appointment of Samuel Onyango to the Board to represent the sugar sector because he was a nominee of the Kisumu Sugarbelt Co- operative Union. I wrote to the Attorney-General and attached a draft Gazette Notice for the appointment of Samuel Ong’ow to the AFA Board. Due to the busy nature of the Attorney-General’s Office and recognizing that we have only 642 counsels in the country and a shortage of 646, that is probably where the delay could be. However, I want to confirm to this House that within the shortest time possible, probably two weeks--- Today is Wednesday and Gazette Notices are done on Fridays. If I am not able to meet the deadline because I have to go and get to know the status, probably I can commit The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard Services,Senate."
}