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{
    "id": 1488712,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1488712/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 343,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Molo, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Kuria Kimani",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The Bill also outlines clear legislation and regulation on sugar protection and market practices that will enhance transparency. This Bill will address the need for quality control in the sugar production, and ensure that both the producers and the consumers of sugar are protected. The Bill emphasises the importance of protecting the rights of sugarcane growers, including fair pricing and protection of contractual agreements with the millers. The Bill will also ensure that in the event of a dispute, whether it is among farmers, millers or marketers, the disputes are amicably addressed to the benefit of both the millers and the farmers. Most importantly, this Bill will help safeguard or protect the importation and exportation of sugar. This is aimed at protecting local farmers from unfair competition. For a very long time, the reason why some of our local manufacturing and even local farming has not been yielding fruits, is because of facing unfair competition from importation. This Bill sets clear guidelines on the importation and exportation of sugar. This will, therefore, ensure that we protect our local industry and our local farmers from unfair competition. This Bill also provides mechanisms, including financial and technical mechanisms to support the sugarcane growers, so that they can have improved production. This improved production will enhance better livelihoods for the farmers. Most importantly, there is also a clear focus on training programmes for farmers so that farmers can adopt better farming practices to ensure that the farmers get better and higher yields. In consideration of our environment, the Bill also addresses environmental concerns by giving the Board the mandate to set the requisite environmental programmes for both the farmers and the millers. This will help reduce the extortion of the environment that has previously been done, especially by the millers. The Kenya Sugar Board, as an authority, will have a leeway to give penalties where there is non-compliance with the set legal and regulatory framework. Where there is multi-practice around the sugar sector, this Bill provides for a mechanism to penalise that, by giving the Board the authority to issue penalties in case of any multi-practice. In conclusion, this mediated version of the Bill represents a significant step towards the restructuring of the sugar sector in Kenya. By fostering a supportive environment for farmers, by ensuring there is fair competition and by promoting sustainable practices, this Bill has a great potential to completely change and revitalise the sugar sector. It will ensure that there is production in this country and farmers are protected. Hon. Temporary Speaker, perhaps, you may ask why the sugar sector is important in this country. It contributes 0.8 per cent of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs, at least, 500,000 Kenyans directly. Therefore, if you were to collocate the number of Kenyans employed in the sugar sector, you will realise… The passing of this Bill will change the way the sugar sector operates. It will increase its GDP contribution from 0.8 per cent to a much higher percentage."
}