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{
"id": 1490585,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1490585/?format=api",
"text_counter": 79,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13217,
"legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
"slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
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"content": "Kapkeben, all the way to Mumbwa, which neighbours Aaron Cheruiyot’s county, the roads are impassible, yet there is a lot of money that is paid through Cess. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the wisdom of the Committee, which you appointed, we thought the Cess should go back to the Kenya Sugar Board so that they can assist in maintenance of infrastructure. In fact, in the definition, we did not say only roads, we said bridges, murram roads, grading and access so that farmers in Homabay and Kakamega counties, when delivering sugar cane to either Butere or Mumias, are using well maintained roads. Therefore, I would like to inform the House that money will never go to KeRRA because Members of the National Assembly have an opportunity of taking advantage of the 40 per cent that normally goes to KeRRA. Number four is on the issue of appointing boards to the private factories. We are against it. Under the Companies Act, you cannot have an outsider sitting in a private company and, therefore, we rejected having a farmer or anybody to sit in a private company's board because it is against the Companies Act, and against best business practices. We agreed and deleted that. We introduced Clause 19(a), to rectify something. Hon. Members should listen to this carefully. We said- “A grower may deliver cane outside the sugar cane zone or catchment area, provided that the grower--” I had explained. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are substituting the sugar zone to sugar catchment area. I think Kwale County is part of the catchments, and I am happy the Senator who was our host over the weekend is in the House, Sen. Issa Juma Boy. Kilifi and Kwale counties should be the biggest beneficiary in that region. A miller may enter into a contract of cane supply with another miller, if his mill is located within the same sugar cane catchment area. Farmers from Kericho and Nandi counties met the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in the presence of the Senate Majority Leader and I. We agreed that we are going to ensure zoning. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if you read the Oparanya Report, this Sugar Bill has borrowed largely from the Oparanya Report. For us who come from western region, that Report is what we borrowed from heavily. When we did public participation across the country, we realized that farmers were proposing in line with Governor Oparanya’s Report in the last session. That is why we came up with the sugar catchment areas. I have said sugar catchment areas will be for cane development and for the purposes of elections to the Kenya Sugar Board. In fact, I know the questions farmers will ask. For example, Nandi will be part of the central region. This part will be on the other part. We are proposing that the directors to Kenya Sugar Board be rotational. Finally, on the New Schedule on sugar catchment areas, Central will cater for Kisumu, southern Nandi and Kericho. Remember Nandi does not have any milling sugar factory. We rely on Kibos, Muhoroni, Chemelil, West Kenya and West Valley in Kericho County. On upper western region, we will have Bungoma, Kakamega, excluding Mumias area, Trans Zoia, Uasin Gishu and Northern Nandi. For us in Northern Nandi, Naitiri and Butali will be nearer. On Lower Western, we will have Mumias, Busia and Siaya. 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."
}