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{
"id": 1490622,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1490622/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
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"speaker": {
"id": 407,
"legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
"slug": "ledama-olekina"
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"content": "you cannot sell that sugarcane to any other catchment area, or anybody else from another area if you have that contract. That is very important. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is also important for us to demystify what we have done with this mediated version of the Bill. It now means that if you are a sugarcane grower in Narok, Kisii, Homa Bay and Migori, you belong to one region. The term zoning was complicated. People did not like to deal with the term zoning. Now, you are one catchment area. It is imperative that you are represented in the Board. My colleague, Sen. Omtatah said that if we can pull out the sugar industry from AFA, there will be sanity. I beg to differ. As a country, it is about time that we stop all these nonsensical authorities. A practical example is that today the cereal millers are complaining and crying. The National Biosafety Authority (NBA), which should essentially be under AFA, is now introducing a fee, which is very expensive and punitive. This fee was gazetted recently. Remember that we are talking about food security in this country and how the cost of living is very expensive. We are trying to reduce the cost of living because of the actions of this independent authority. We have the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), AFA, the Sugar Board and KEPHIS. Each of them have now turned into competing to see which one will punish farmers the most, which one will make it expensive for products which are being consumed in this country, and also those which are exported out. The NBA without consulting the millers, the farmers and the consumers, decide that when importing wheat, you also pay for testing whether the wheat is Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) when paying your Import Declaration Fee (IDF). Forgetting the debate to GMO in this country. Of course, I do not support GMO at all. However, we do not import wheat from countries. There are already measures that have been put in place, where the countries such Ukraine and Russia that are selling wheat to this country know very well that they cannot export wheat that has got GMO to Kenya. However, the NBA decides to gazette another figure where you have to pay together with the IDF. Why are we making it so expensive and complicated? My colleagues are saying that details will be on the regulations. Can we just fold all these agencies and put them all under AFA and then create departments among it? The moment you have NBA and any other, they will just continue competing with each other on how to punish farmers. It is now very expensive to export or import anything agriculture into Kenya. This Senate and the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries must take its time. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I will be bringing a Statement tomorrow to understand all these levies. I hope that when we come down to the regulation on this Sugar Board, those levies will either be done away with completely or given a moratorium of about five years, to allow people to develop the cane industry and then revisit after that. I have a big problem about creating all these authorities. We are creating jobs for a few individuals. Instead of those individuals going out there and helping the industry, they penalise these farmers. I have looked at the amendments that have been agreed upon. I like the fact that we will have a representative appointed by the Cabinet Secretary from the universities. I am glad that he will come from the universities that have done research or that are doing research on sugar. We do not want anyone being appointed to go sit on this Board just because you know so and so. 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."
}