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"id": 1476897,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1476897/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13219,
"legal_name": "Erick Okong'o Mogeni",
"slug": "erick-okongo-mogeni"
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, you know it because is on the boundary. All farmers in Kisii used to deliver milk to KCC. By then, it was the larger Kisii District. We only had one district, Kisii. We all used to deliver our milk to KCC. My people in Bosamaro Ward used to deliver their pyrethrum to Sironda, Makairo, and Tinga, and they would get their money. The ones in Tinga Cooperative owned even buildings in Kisii Town. I expected that devolution will hype it up. I feel sad that my people famed for farming in bananas are still hawking bananas at Ikonge, Tinga Market and Keumbu without using our cooperative. That way, we are not getting value for money because there is no value addition. My Governor, Mzee Nyaribo, please, wake up and help our farmers. We want to see more money into the pockets of our farmers. We have pineapples in North Mugirango Constituency where the governor comes from. That is his constituency. We need to see those farmers with their pineapples being put into a cooperative and do value addition. What is so special about Thika Canners that they can process those pineapples and send them abroad? Does it mean the money you get in Bomet County cannot produce butter and ship it abroad? We can. That is what we need to see from our county governments. That way, we can be proud that devolution is helping our people. We are famed for bricks in Kitutu Masaba Constituency, but people are selling them as individuals. There is no SACCO for farmers dealing with bricks. We have avocados in Kisii County, but these farm producers are all being sold like hokey. We need to help our farmers do value addition to their produce. There are traditional vegetables like saget. If our SACCO were working and our county governments were to support our farmers with strong co-operatives, then these vegetables can be packaged and sold in in dollars in America. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this law by Sen. Miriam is a very good initiative and I thank her for it. However, I am making a special appeal that we should do away with putting ministers or cabinet secretaries to meddle into functions that are devolved. On Clause 2C, why should a Cabinet Secretary be the one doing the framework for the standards for development and the growth of cooperative societies? Why not have this done by the CECM for Co-operatives in Nyamira County? Why should the Cabinet Secretary from the national Government be the one formulating the management of cooperative societies? These things can be done at the county level. It can be done by our CECMs or chief officers at the county level. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I propose that we do away with most of these references to our cabinet secretaries and leave it at the county level. I am happy with what is in the proposed Clause 3A, where power has been given to the CECM for Co- operatives. In Nyamira, that power would be exercised by my CECM for Co-operatives, Mr. Bernard Maina. Mr. Temporary Speaker, I am impressed with the proposal on how we will pick members of the tribunal. Again, why is Sen. Miriam giving power to the Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to pick members of the tribunal? Why should the Cabinet Secretary be the one picking members of the tribunal for cooperatives? Let us devolve these tribunals to the counties. Why are we The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}