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{
    "id": 1490596,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1490596/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 90,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I say this because for the first time, we are seeing regulation, development, and promotion of the industry being a function of a board. Secondly, there is a proposal that this board is also going to coordinate the activities of the value chain actors in the industry. There is nothing that can make the sugar industry as economically and commercially viable as being able to coordinate activities of value chain actors. Sometimes these value chain actors, for instance, jaggery millers, when left to no regulation, development or promotion, cannot make sense of commercial viability of running good industries. The KSB is also going to make sure that it facilitates equitable access to benefit farmers. I will elaborate on that when I look at some of the proposals in terms of benefits that will come from the Government to farmers as well as millers. I can also see in Clause 4 that this Bill seeks to give the KSB a role to establish linkages with Government agencies and research institutions. For the first time, we are seeing the KSB being proposed to enable farmers to do scientific approach to cane farming. Additionally, the board will monitor any distortion in the sugar market. I know my brother, Sen. Sifuna, was very keen on the levy on importation of refined sugar. Sometimes, importation can cause a lot of distortion in the market and Kenya Sugar Board is unable to regulate that. The juiciest part of this is that for the first time, the Kenya Sugar Board will work alongside the Kenya Sugar Research and Training Institute under Clause 28(2)(a) and (b) where the Kenya Sugar Research and Training Institute will play an advisory role to the Kenya Sugar Board. We remember that the defunct Kenya Sugar Board did not have the proper scientific basis for developing the industry. I also celebrate the fact that the board has been mandated under Clause 33, to establish sugar industry inspectors. This is wonderful because some of the problems bedevilling the sugar industry that are affecting farmers, is the disconnect between the Kenya Sugar Board and farmers' plight at the inspection level of the entire value chain. For instance, this Bill establishes the crop inspector. What kind of seed cane should a farmer plant? Secondly, there is the establishment of factory inspectors. One of the problems that farmers face in places like Migori and the Southern Nyanza Region is that they harvest cane, take it to the factory and then when they get to the factory, they hope that cane weighs so well. Then at the factory, there are weighing machines that have already been doctored in a way that they cannot make the best out of their sugarcane. So, a factory inspector should deal with the problem of farmers in terms of weighing to make sure they are getting proper payment for their cane. There is also a warehouse and transportation inspector that has been established under Clause 33. This is also fantastic. One of the biggest problems that the sugarcane growers are facing is that tractors have caused many accidents in regions where sugarcane farmers come from. This is because there is no inspector to look at the entire warehouse and transportation chain for sugarcane growers. For example, in places like Migori, Homa Bay, and Muhoroni, at night when people are traveling, you find tractors that have been left by different millers on the road because they are in pathetic condition and therefore, they end up claiming many lives. So, it is wonderful that we are going to have an inspector who can look at that entire chain. 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."
}