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{
    "id": 1473226,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1473226/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 317,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "For instance, I know that Sen. Cheruiyot likes mursik so much. When he goes to Busia, which is very close to the great County of Kisumu and also extends to the border of Kenya-Uganda, you will realise that the economy of fish is very big. We have seen people fighting over menial jobs that are created abroad. Sometimes, even when you talk about absolute numbers on those jobs, you might find that the so-called maids that we are exporting are only 100 or 200. The other day, I saw the Prime Cabinet Secretary launching about 167 teachers to go and work abroad. In those local communities exists a very big opportunity to create many jobs for young people. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I want to invite particularly the Majority Leader that when you are in Busia, take a keen look at the fish economy in that region. On fish economy in this country, we are told by experts, the Gatsby research to be specific, that the gap we have in this country in terms of demand for fish is about 600,000 metric tons. Locally, we only produce about 200,000 metric tons. About 400,000 metric tons is being filled in by our neighbors in Uganda where we will spend our time in Busia and China. Gatsby also indicated that Lake Victoria alone has the capacity of holding the entire 400,000 metric tons in terms of fish production. Not just fish production on wild catch but also growing fish through cage farming. When you go to the neighborhood region called the Homa Bay County, there is a farm called Victory Farms which is currently doing about 10,000 metric tons and is considered the biggest in that region. Can you imagine that with only 10,000 metric tons of fish production per year, Victory Farm employs 1,000 people in their farm as permanent and casuals. They have also been able to create 200 outlets that employ another 700 people. If one investor in that region can put about an economy that employs 1,700, why should we be fighting about jobs abroad? Think about companies like Rio Fish, the biggest aggregator of fish in Homa Bay County. They do about 300 metric tons. We are talking about a gap of 400,000 metric tons and Rio Fish can employ a further 600 people through their casuals and permanent opportunities. What am I saying here, as I finish? I am saying that as you go to that special community, let us fetch for those opportunities that we can be able to come and legislate in terms of creating job opportunities for our people. I believe that Busia will be an eye- opener for the Senate when we go there. I support this and I hope that Senate will get the resources needed to make sure that Senators can spend time in Busia for those five days that we will be in Busia. Most importantly, I hope that the same character of people missing in sessions here will not extend to people missing in Busia because that will be a learning opportunity for Senators to see and bring back. I second and appreciate the fact that this has been considered and will be in our calendar this year. I thank you."
}