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{
    "id": 1463624,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463624/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 537,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Eldas, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Adan Keynan",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 41,
        "legal_name": "Adan Wehliye Keynan",
        "slug": "adan-keynan"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. The paradox in our country is that we have reached a stage where leaders who are entrusted with the leadership of this country, have reduced their role to just lamentations. I have looked at this Motion, which is good for a member of parliament who is seeking to be a populist. However, practically speaking, this is not the route. I appreciate what Hon. Nabulindo has done but, the era of bringing Motions along just to lament on the Floor of the House is gone. It does not add any value. What the sugarcane farmers require is the passage of the Sugar Bill. Over the years, we have reduced our role as Members of Parliament simply because we fear confronting the cartels. The problem afflicting the sugarcane farmers, just like the other productive sectors, are the cartels. They are not interested in expanding our GDP or economic growth. They are not interested in reducing our trade deficit or foreign exchange results. They are only interested in filling their pockets. Whose role is it to diminish their roles? It is the role of the leadership here through legislations and putting pressure on those who are tasked with the executive mandate. I do not foresee a time when we will not need sugar and Kenya will not be part of the global village. We must reflect on this. This country was once a promising nation in the 1960s when we got our Independence. We are at the mercy of cartels today. We have been reduced to an importing nation. We have seen many Members of Parliament bringing Motions here to lament about their sectors. I always give an example of Kenya Meat Commission (KMC). Once upon a time, it was a giant meat processing facility in the entire East African region. However, it is a shell today. The very institutions that we have invested in Botswana and other countries are the ones that are now leading in beef export. KMC is struggling. Year-in, year-out, we are asked to allocate funds to bring it up. The same applies to sugarcane. The other day, I saw a news print that the external debts of millers were waived. I thought that would have given us a new platform to bring up some of those millers. We need to ask ourselves one question. How come the private millers are doing well, but the Government millers do not function? It is simply because of the cartels who do not want that sector to flourish. To my colleagues from the Western and Nyanza regions, it is time we put our foot down and say we can no longer lament. We will give you all the support because where I come from, sugar is a necessity. In my community, we say it is better you die when you are taking a sweet thing than.... Sugar is so critical in our lifestyle. What is our role? How can we minimise the role of those cartels? They will be there. Most of the rich people in this country, including politicians, have made their money through sugar deals. In fact, one of the most lucrative certificates to land on is the duty-free sugar importation facility. You know about it since they are in your villages, Nairobi and all over. Therefore, Hon. Nabulindo, friends, cohorts and colleagues, I empathise with those poor farmers. We are only giving them lip services. What they require is not lip service but practical solutions that are tailor-made to uplift them from abject poverty, which is not a mean achievement. Kenya has been a member of Common Market of East and Southern Africa (COMESA) over the years. I have had the privilege of visiting Zambia, which hosts the headquarters of COMESA. When you go to Egypt and Brazil, you will be surprised to learn that the current security challenges in Sudan notwithstanding, was a leading exporter of sugar. If you go to our neighbour Uganda and do further investigations, you will find out that some things are done in such a way The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}