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{
"id": 1490601,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1490601/?format=api",
"text_counter": 95,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "to the coastal sugar catchment area that covers Kwale, Tana River, and Lamu counties, which the committee observed will be used for election of representatives of growers in the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB). The Committee said if this was not done, there is a possibility that counties with many growers gets slots in the board perpetually. What was the Committee's recommendation? They said that the Cabinet Secretary should put in place regulations after enactment of the Bill, providing that the board positions be rotational among the different counties in the catchment areas to ensure that each county gets a chance to be represented in the KSB. This mediated version is telling the country that there will be opportunity for counties that may not be producing as much sugar to be in the KSB. These include counties like Kwale, Tana River and Lamu, which produce sugar, but every time the question of sugar is discussed, the coastal sugar catchment area is not considered. It is like we are non-existent, and yet we produce sugar. In fact, in Tana River County in Tana Delta, they found that we are able to do two crops of sugar in one year because of our climatic conditions, which are very good conditions when they did the first tests. The kind of sucrose content that our sugarcane produces is high quality. Our conditions are similar to the ones in Mauritius and everybody knows that one of the countries that produces extremely good quality sugar is Mauritius. In fact, its economy is dependent on sugar production, clothing and tourism. Going back to the point, this report seems to recognize that the coastal region is also a producer of sugar cane. In fact, it is deserving of a position on the KSB. The principle of rotation is one that is giving us a voice at the highest level of sugar cane planning and management of the industry. This is important because the needs of sugarcane farmers in Kwale, Tana River and Lamu is totally different from the needs in the other sugarcane catchment areas. It is important for our voices to be heard at the highest level. This has not been happening in the past. I am very happy that this mediated version of the Sugar Bill is inclusive of this rotational principle. Mr. Speaker, Sir, those who may not be familiar with the rotational principle, maybe I need to give a background of it. In the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), we used to have universal suffrage for the election of the speaker whom we call Pan-African Parliament President. Anybody could contest, but West African countries are small states and have a seat similar to other states. The principle of parity demands that every state has a vote. They used to bunch up together and that way small countries by size and population are able to retain that seat on the western part of the continent of Africa. What did we do? The African Union intervened and said we must have a rotational principle. The African continent was divided into five regions; the northern, southern, eastern, central and the western region. If the leadership has emerged from one area, then you are not eligible to produce a candidate for that position. It has to go to the other areas until we come back to you. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this has allowed some sense of fairness. I am happy to see that this rotational principle is being applied in the sugar board elections. A time will come when the sugar catchment area of the coast, meaning Kwale, Tana River and Lamu, will be producing a person to sit at the highest level of decision-making for the sugar board and this will affect all the farmers, and this will cause all our voices to be heard at the highest level. 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."
}