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{
"id": 154446,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/154446/?format=api",
"text_counter": 371,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Wekesa",
"speaker_title": "May 14, 2009 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 546 The Minister for Forestry and Wildlife",
"speaker": {
"id": 209,
"legal_name": "Noah Mahalang'ang'a Wekesa",
"slug": "noah-wekesa"
},
"content": " Thank you Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this Motion. I dare say, I want to support this Motion with reservation. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the importation of maize has been in the news for a long time. I remember in 1978 we had a shortage of maize and the then President of the Republic of Kenya, the retired President Daniel Arap Moi had to go out of the country to beg for food and maize. Therefore, Kenyans were saved by farmers from outside this country. Ever since then, there has been talk of importation of maize nearly every year. We know that half of this country is endowed with very good soil, weather and rainfall. The question is, have we really exploited the potential that does exist? Have we used our waters properly? Have we used our soils properly? Have we embraced technology? For a long time, farmers in this country have been tilling the soil and planting the same maize they planted, 30 years to 40 years ago and yet there is a lot of development in technology. We ought to change the way we produce our food. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, in Israel, there are places where farmers have to import or carry soil for miles and miles away to put on top of the sand so that they can grow cabbages, maize and other foods. They do this very well. In the whole of western Kenya, parts of Rift Valley, parts of Eastern Province, we do not have to carry soil from elsewhere to grow our foods. As Kenyans, are we serious about farming? When I was a young student in this country and outside this country, people would say, Kenya's economy is based on Agriculture. We have been saying that for a long time. However, when you see the way we do things, you wonder whether we have experts in our universities, industries and the Government to change the way we have been farming. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, in my view, there is no need for Kenya to import maize or any food. We have scientists. We have expertise in our universities and industries to be able to grow food. We should not grow food only for consumption by Kenyans but we can grow food to the extent that we can be net exporters of food such as maize. Talking about last year, you know we had the post-election violence and then extended drought in most parts of Kenya. Indeed, the importation of maize as far as last year is concerned was justified. The post-election violence rendered many farmers unable to grow food. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, as you fly right through your constituency going towards the borders of Uganda, you will see many empty farms that have been abandoned. For a long time, we called that area the basket of this country. Many farmers in your region and my region did not grow maize. That was because of the post-election violence. I hope while we are still Members of Parliament, we shall never see that again. We shall do anything to avoid what we saw last year as post-election violence. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I have referred to the issue of drought. I am sure if you have an opportunity to visit colleagues who come from northern and eastern parts of Kenya, you will agree with me that even as I am speaking now, there is drought. That affects the production of maize and other food crops. So, we must deal with the issue of drought because it recurs from time to time. Our experts in the Meteorological Department can predict when we will have drought. That expertise we have in this country. They told us this year we will have less rain. That is happening. So, if they can"
}