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{
    "id": 1398610,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1398610/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 260,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wamatinga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13582,
        "legal_name": "Wahome Wamatinga",
        "slug": "wahome-wamatinga"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. I sit in the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. I commend the Committee for the effort it has put in this Bill, having worked over the weekends to Mondays. This is a clear indication that the Committee is dedicated to ensuring that legal frameworks are put in place that will ensure the farmers of this country no longer suffer from the predicament they have been suffering from. It has been said by many Senators who contributed to this debate that the sugarcane, coffee, tea, macadamia or avocado farmers in Kenya have always been taken advantage of by middlemen because of lack of sound legal framework to protect them. It is unfortunate that most of our farmers who work hard to put meals on their tables end up getting exploited. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this Bill is a perfect indication that with good legal framework, farmers can be protected and assisted. Most importantly, this Bill ensures that the levies and the cess collected do not only go into repairing the roads, but research is also given its rightful place in the industry. We know that after the colonial era, there were sound research institutions in Kenya that saw many sectors perform very well. However, as we progressed and corruption became a part of our society, people were taken advantage of and farming was reduced. The brokers living in big cities took advantage of the poor farmers, their yield, work and input. Most of them ended paying for loans they never took and for inputs, fertilizers and pesticides that they never used. This is because there was lack of a framework that would govern how that is administered. That is why moving forward we are enjoying political goodwill from none other than the President of this country. This has ensured that the farmers are given their rightful dividends and that we put in place sound mechanisms anchored in law that can be enforced to make sure that farmers get their rightful dues. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is very impressive indeed when you listen to the President address every gathering that, yes, we can feed this nation. This has for the last 60 years dodged us but now with the right political leadership under His Excellency (Dr.) 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."
}