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{
    "id": 1382552,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1382552/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 48,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marsabit County, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Naomi Waqo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to add my voice to this very important Bill. I also congratulate Hon. Emaase for coming up with this very important Bill touching on the lives of many people. Many people have referred to the old days when cotton farming was the pride of many Kenyans. Cotton helped many people and farmers. The cotton industry elevated lives, reduced poverty, educated and gave hope to many people. One thing that encourages all of us is that cotton farming can be done even in dry areas. As the Member who spoke before me said, 85 per cent of this country is arid and semi-arid, where we cannot do real farming of all that we want. Cotton farming, however, can be done in Marsabit where I come from, even beyond Saku area, and still be a productive industry. It does not need a lot of attention and investment. We have a lot of idle land that needs to be put to use. If we are serious as a Government, we need to strategise on how to utilise all the idle and community lands in this country and transform them into cotton farming. This will create employment and give hope to the young people, especially now that our economy is not doing well. The cotton industry can be one of the areas we can use to revive the economy. This industry can be one of those that motivate the people, because they can easily identify themselves with it. If the Government can come up with incentives for farmers by giving them all the seeds and support they need, and have manufacturing system in every county, then this can help. That is why I encourage the national Government to partner with county governments to promote and ensure that this industry is revived in the country, and given the attention it deserves so that unemployed people who want to invest in the sector are empowered to invest. That will help us to revive the economy. It will be a pride for each of us and our Government will never regret doing this. I support this Bill. Thank you."
}