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{
    "id": 146350,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/146350/?format=api",
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    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to address the issue of agriculture. I am surprised that the Ministry of Agriculture was not given enough money to ensure that we have food security in this country. It is a shame that we spend a lot of money to import food to this country. We should not import food at all because we are endowed with good climate and hardworking people. We only need to ensure that the Ministry of Agriculture is given enough money to ensure that we produce enough food for our people. A country that cannot feed its own people cannot be called a country at all. We need to feed our people and ensure that we have enough food in this country. We also need to look into the issue of supporting agricultural activities. I come from an area where there are small-scale tea farmers. These tea farmers are about to uproot tea because they are not paid well. It is about time that the Government came in and ensured that if there is crop failure, the farmers are subsidized so that they continue to grow the crop. It is also important that farmers are introduced to agricultural insurance so that they are protected against crop failure. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also need to talk about our police force. Our police force needs to be trained, housed and paid well. If we have to curb corruption among our police officers, then they must be paid well and their welfare looked into. Our police officers are paid peanuts. I think it is time we reviewed their salaries, looked into their welfare and their remuneration so that they are at par with the rest of Government workers. The issue of health is paramount to this nation. I want to commend the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for giving monies to ensure that health facilities are built in districts and constituencies. I also want to say that the issue of employing nurses in every constituency is commendable. This will ensure that health facilities function in those constituencies. I also want to say that we need to stress the issue of preventive medicine as opposed to curative medicine. As I speak, I am told that a cholera outbreak killed 13 children in Laisamis. This is sad. We need to give the Ministry concerned enough money. Even if we ask the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation to do the work and yet we do not give them enough money, they cannot do the work. They can only watch as we are watching. We need to fund them with enough money so that they can take care of this issue. As I come to a conclusion, I want to commend the Minister for allocating money for hiring of teachers on contract basis. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance said that we will be employing teachers in every constituency. This is good work because education is the key to everything and we must ensure that our young people are given the right education. Once again, I want to say that this is good work that has been done by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance. It is exemplary. I want him to continue in the same line. I also want to urge him to look into the issue of the CDF. The CDF is one good thing that happened in this country because money can now reach every part of this country that had been ignored. I want him to look into the possibility of increasing the CDF money so that our people can continue benefiting. I thank him again for his good work. I beg to support."
}