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{
    "id": 1398607,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1398607/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 257,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Some of the Members of Parliament (MP) and Senators from the western region could actually be in Parliament courtesy of the politics of sugar. This is because, any time sugar is mentioned in some regions in Kenya, it means either one is correct or incorrect depending on the kind of ideas they are giving about the sugar sector. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have looked at the composition of the board in Section Six of this Bill. The composition is so balanced. It has taken the spread of stakeholders. It constitutes of a non-executive chairperson appointed by the President. It takes on board five representatives elected by farmers, the public and private owned sugar mills, the Council of Governors (CoG), the Principal Secretary Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, an appointee of PS, Treasury and a CEO who is also an ex- officio member to the board or the secretary to the board. This by itself has brought in the very key stakeholders. By the very virtue of how this board has been constituted, it then means that the heated politics and undercurrents that we have experienced in the sugar sector in Kenya can finally be managed. All those pressures can now be taken up by the board because most of the stakeholders have been represented in the board. We will not have one stakeholder suddenly complaining that they do not understand what is being done by the board because they are not represented. What must bring a smile to the sugar farmers is that they will be represented on the board. It is also very good that the Bill proposes that the CEO must be a graduate; a holder of some credentials because looking at the kind of a board the CEO will be working with, it then means that they need to be qualified in a certain specialty within the sugar sector and will bring some value proposition to the table. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when I look at what the board is entrusted to do, they are comprehensive and very exhaustive. It does not only deal with issues that affect sugar locally, the Bill is also dealing with issues that will affect sugar imported from other regions like Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). We are already aware that in Kenya, we have seen issues of substandard sugar being imported and the sugar being given to the common mwananchi to consume, a produce that does not meet the standard. This Bill then introduces the standardization and offers the legal infrastructure that is required to ensure that any sugar that is intended for consumption has met the expected standards. That is why, I support the Bill. However, I have noted Section 22 provides that licensing of the mills would be issued by the board and would expire on the 30th of June. I do not know why the drafter of this Bill thought of matching the license year to the financial year that is normally undertaken by the Government. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is because Clause 22 provides that a license issued under this Act shall be subject to such conditions as the Board may determine and as prescribed in regulations. Clause 19(4) states that- “Every license shall unless earlier revoked, expire on the 30th June next, following the date of issue”. I do not know why we would have the license expire on 30th June. There is no connection between the license and the financial year. My proposal to Sen. Osotsi or the Chairperson of this Committee would be to consider making the expiry of this license to 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 and AudioServices, Senate."
}