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{
    "id": 1490604,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1490604/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 98,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ogola",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to this mediated report. I want to laud one former Member of Parliament for Ndhiwa Constituency, the late Hon. Joshua Orwa Ojode - a man who had a vision to think for his community. We are proud of this former and late Member of Parliament. Homa Bay County had no working industry. The only industry in Homa Bay then was Capital Fish, which was a private company. It was only concentrated on the fishing sector. We had an MP who saw it worth initiating work to establish a sugar industry and that was the birth of what today we call the Ndhiwa Sukari Industry in the Ndhiwa sub- county. With this industry, we now had economic activities that our farmers would be engaged in, not limited to our constituency. I happen to be one of the people that Hon. Joshua Orwa Ojode put in place to fight for the establishment of this sugar industry. Amongst them is the late former chair of the County Council of Southern Nyanza, who was then called Councillor Jane Were. May her soul rest in peace. Then, after Councilor Jane Were, we had Councillor Dorcas Matunga, who was the chair of the County Council of Homa Bay until devolution came in. We had Councillor John Orata, who is alive today and a testament to that struggle to initiate the Ndhiwa sugar industry. We had other outstanding personalities in Ndhiwa Constituency that were put together by this gallant son of Ndhiwa, hon. Joshua Orwa Ojode. It was not easy because we had to convince communities who thought that with the coming of the sugar industry, they were going to lose their land. Little did they know that the economy of the region would be jump-started. We have farmers who have benefited immensely from the Ndhiwa sugar industry. Our farmers are able to pay school fees, have money in their pockets, and are economically empowered. However, with all this, there have also been setbacks. I am happy with the progress and that is why I want to support what is before us today. I want to support it because of a few clauses that the Mediation Committee has included. One of them is Clause 29. This is a clause that talks about the nomination of universities that they are able to nominate. We all know that universities have the sole mandate of research. If they are able to nominate some of their own that will bring in issues that are research-related, then I am happy with this. First, I would like the Government to consider increasing funding related to research at our universities because universities are centres of knowledge and 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."
}