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{
    "id": 1525575,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525575/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 241,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "is only 5 to 8 per cent. What is so hard for millers to mop up that 5 to 8 per cent? They still import wheat from outside the country. Let me appreciate the work of the new Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Development, Hon. Mutahi Kagwe. I am happy that he listened and saw where the problem is. He knew that those people had 260,000 metric tonnes of wheat at the port. However, farmers in Narok, Uasin Gishu and Laikipia have got about 320,000 metric tonnes. They need to go and buy all those bags first before they are given approval to offload the ship. He told them to pay the demurrages as they wish. They are all crying, but we have to be our brothers’ keepers. We have to make sure that we protect the people who give us an opportunity to serve them here. The gentleman called Hillary from Bomet should awaken our desire to help uplift the standard of living of our people. This should be very dear to all of us. It should be something we should take seriously because if those people are not happy, trust me, you are the ones who will get all those phone calls asking you to help them. Madam Temporary Speaker, I am happy that the committee recommends that the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development must develop a support mechanism for the rural farmers. That support mechanism should not be left only to the Ministry. It has to go down to the county governments. I am happy that all of us agree that we should introduce agricultural extension officers. When we were growing up, it was fun being a child in this country. You would find agricultural extension officers coming. In fact, back then when we used to grow wheat, you would go to school knowing that there is a crop and somebody would come to buy it. Even if you did not have school fees, the fact that you had a crop in the field, that would give you a ticket to education. Now, nobody is sure whether they will harvest whatever they plant. Madam Temporary Speaker, you should have seen the frustration and anger of the wheat farmers in Narok County. When I asked them what was going on, they were like; where were you when we were suffering? Little did we know that we have issues. We must ask ourselves how we should educate our farmers. The biggest problem we have is that we are not educating our farmers. When Nyeri County farmers complain about tea or coffee, unless the distinguished Senator for Nyeri goes there and educates them, to tell you the truth, the county government may not invest in educating them. Since we have this national platform, let us ensure that the decisions we make here trickle down. This is a House of union because it unites all the 47 counties on issues that affect our people. I was listening to the distinguished Senator for Tana River talking about compensation of the farmers. The way we are busy drumming up support for the Social Health Authority (SHA) and saying that we want universal healthcare, we should do the same for food security. I wish Members of the National Assembly were listening to this. We should encourage industries to be established in rural areas and waive 100 per cent taxes for innovation because that is the only way. If you have industries across the 47 counties, you will encourage more people to develop new seed and grow crops. 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."
}