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{
    "id": 1463638,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463638/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 551,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nyando, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Jared Okello",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " It comes with an incentive. Hon. Temporary Speaker, besides coming from the sugar belt, I also belong to the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock. The challenges that abound within the sugar sector cannot properly be gainsaid. It is important to note that during the last regime, a task force was formed by the former President, Uhuru Kenyatta, which was co-chaired by Hon. Ambetsa Oparanya and the then Cabinet Secretary in charge of Agriculture, Hon. Peter Munya. In the Task force was the Kisumu Governor (Prof.) Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, amongst a host of many others. Hon. Temporary Speaker, the main idea was to carry out an introspection around the challenges within the sugar sector. One of the fruits that has since been born by the Task force is the Sugar Bill, which has passed both this House and the Senate. At the moment, the mediation team is yet to be formed to thrash out the discordance that emerged from the process. It is true that the sugar sector, even though it is as white as gold, has continued to go through headwinds. It is disturbing that whereas, the Government-owned sugar companies are experiencing many problems, there continues to be mushrooming private sugar mills. Interestingly, those private sugar companies are performing very well, while the Government-owned sugar companies are performing dismally. Therefore, there must be a problem with the management. As a Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock, we have carried out a series of visitations within the sugar companies with a view to collect facts that surround the challenges that they experience. Under a fortnight ago, I accompanied the Principal Secretary in charge of Agriculture, (Dr) Kiprono Rono to a fact-finding mission visit to Chemelil and Muhoroni Sugar companies. We noted that the machines are dilapidated. Just as he said, when those machines were set up, no substantial maintenance has been done. The spillages of sugarcane juice that creates immense losses to the companies will always be there. It is high time we invested heavily in overhauling those machines so that we can be proactive to the plight of the farmers and be responsive to the needs of the market. The machines that we have are quite rickety in nature. Our country can start to reap the benefits of sugarcane if new machines are made available. 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."
}