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{
    "id": 1475487,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1475487/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 268,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Gichugu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Gichimu Githinji",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for confirming that this chance belongs to me. There is only one Hon. Gichimu, Member for Gichugu, in this Parliament. I was wondering! This is a very important legislation for the people of Gichugu and Kirinyaga at large. I am a coffee farmer and I also represent very many coffee farmers in my constituency. It is one of the backbones and main economic activities in my constituency. That is why it is very important for me to contribute to this Bill. Before I contribute, let me say that a Bill similar to this came before this House in the 12th Parliament, and this House deliberated on it. We ably passed the Bill with amendments, having gone through all the relevant stages of law-making. It was subsequently submitted to the Senate, where it died before the lapse of the last Parliament. It was revived in the Senate and it captures most of the issues that we deliberated on in the 12th Parliament. It is now a good opportunity that it has come early enough so that we can debate and pass it into law, so that coffee farmers in this country can benefit from this law after it has been signed as an Act of Parliament. The establishment of the Board is a very important aspect of this Bill, which runs from clauses 4 to 22. While I agree with most of the provisions, I will be proposing an amendment to indicate that nominees of the Council of Governors ought to have knowledge in coffee matters and be farmers. It is not defined what knowledge in coffee matters is one supposed to have. I might have just read a book about coffee and that can make me a person who has knowledge in coffee matters. For farmers to have better representation from the unions and the Council of Governors, I believe those two nominees by the Council of Governors, on top of having knowledge in coffee matters, also ought to be coffee farmers. Another area that I will be seeking an amendment to is to exempt farmers who are appointed by the largest union or organisation of farmers from the requirement of three years’ experience in management. That requirement will lock out so many farmers who may be qualified. Farmers experience is in farming and not management. I feel we need to exempt that class of people so that they are not locked out of the Board. I am also delighted to see that part of the functions of the Board is market intelligence and promoting coffee in the international market. Going through MyGov.go.ke, I have seen an article where the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) and the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) have already signed an agreement for export promotion and market intelligence in coffee matters. That is a reform in the right direction towards promoting and helping farmers in this country to command the already established market and create new markets so that our farmers can increase their earnings. One of the problems we have been facing is that we have over-relied on the traditional markets in the coffee sector. It is the right time we empower agencies in this country that spend taxpayers’ money like KEPROBA. It was born out of merging the Kenya Export Promotion Council and Brand Kenya to make it strong enough to market and promote Kenyan products abroad. It is high time that agency is well funded, so that it can take Kenya to the next level."
}