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{
"id": 153462,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/153462/?format=api",
"text_counter": 316,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. ole Metito",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Regional Development Authorities",
"speaker": {
"id": 199,
"legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
"slug": "judah-ole-metito"
},
"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it would have been good if you would have reminded those who are consulting loudly to lower their voices. Nevertheless, I thank the hon. Member for bringing that to the attention of the House. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was talking about the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry should allocate funds to different parts of the country based on the rainfall patterns. At the moment, as they supply fertilizer and seeds to some areas, they should consider what season it is in different areas. This is because sometimes as they distribute fertilizers and seeds in Western Province, in some areas like the South Rift, it could be harvesting season. Such parts of the country should receive their seeds and fertilizer when they need it. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to talk about the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Livestock Development. The livestock industry is a very important industry in this country. It contributes about 12 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the attention accorded this industry is very minimal. I would like to bring to the attention of this House that during the campaigns for the 2007 General Elections, almost all the Presidential candidates talked a lot to do with the improvement of the livestock industry in this country. In fact, some said that if elected, they would consider introducing a livestock insurance against drought, like the one we are facing currently. Thank God that all these people are now in the Government. If we put all these proposals together, we could do a great deal for the people in that industry. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Government is trying what is called livestock off-take. Kshs500 million was released this Financial Year to the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC). This money was meant to buy livestock. However, this is very little money. If you go to my district, which is 80 per cent dependent on livestock, the allocation given could only buy 600 animals. Buying 600 animals from a district that has over 300,000 livestock, is a drop in the sea. To make matters worse, the procedures to be followed for one to buy only 600 heads of cattle from the whole Oloitokitok District are very difficult. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as we approve the Supplementary Estimates, the Ministry of Livestock Development should consider making simpler the rules for livestock off-take. They should also ask the Treasury to double the allocation to the KMC so that we could do something substantial to that industry. Still on the issue of livestock in respect to the prevailing drought in this country, livestock co-exist with wildlife. In Oloitokitok, we border the Kyulu and the Tsavo National Parks. Since livestock and wildlife coexist, I would kindly ask the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife to consider giving livestock some grazing rights in the parks because of the prevailing drought. At the moment, we do not have tourism high season. Therefore, the interference of livestock with tourism is very minimal. In cases where they have to drive livestock from parks,"
}