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{
"id": 1565417,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
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"id": 13217,
"legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
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"content": "I hope Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe will correct this travesty of justice against the farmers in Nandi and across the nation. In fact, as we talk, a number of cooperative societies, from Kipchele and Kabunyeria Cooperative Society Coffee, and many others across Nandi County are yet to get the start-up. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have challenged the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Ministry of Cooperatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Hon. Oparanya, to bring a special package to jump-start most of our cooperative societies which are struggling. Under guaranteed minimum returns, that the President, by the covenant that he had with Kenyans, we must relook and ensure that farmers get value. It is said that the average age of farmers in this country is 50 years. We encourage the Gen Zs and the Millennials to be part of bringing agri-business in terms of running of our farms. I am happy, Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is a wake-up call of ensuring that coffee is being grown. I saw the Commissioner in Parliamentary Service Commission. I inform him that even as we sit in our restaurant here in Parliament, they charge us Kshs350 for coffee. I do not know, espresso or cappuccino house coffee, chicken coffee or something like that. They serve us coffee. You can imagine the frustration of first-time Members of Parliament who are still putting their financials in order. It is unfair that you are charging Kshs350 for coffee here. Across at the Java House is Kshs450, yet it is being financed by our budget from Parliament. This is around US$3. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to say this because I am a farmer and I represent farmers. I feel so pained that our farmers wake up very early in the morning to work, but the biggest beneficiaries are middlemen and brokers in this country. There is a calculated discrimination of farmers in this country. You remember we brought a statement that Kshs34 billion worth of tea from Western Kenya had not been sold. What offence have Western Kenya farmers committed? We are struggling with sugar crisis leasing at the moment. Tea, coffee, dairy sector and sugar cane is correlated. In Nandi, we are being paid up to Kshs17 for tea bonus, yet when you go to some parts of this country, they are being paid up to Kshs58. It is not fair. We must be deliberate reform as in the coffee sector reforms. I want to challenge the chairperson of the Committee on agriculture, Livestock and fisheries. I have never seen them participate in coffee caucus sector reforms. I saw only the Member of Parliament from Nyeri Town, Hon. Duncan Mathenge, who is the Chair of Coffee Parliamentary Caucus. I have not seen Senate becoming proactive. I know the Vice-Chair, Sen. Mundigi, the Deputy Party Leader of the Democratic Party (DP). I have not seen their input in the Parliamentary Coffee Caucus. We need to caucus even in the tea sector, so that we can see value. There are better conversations we can do outside this room that will be beneficial. Let me make a few very critical points and then I cede the Floor. On the issue of the buyer, I do not agree. There was no need to define these things. This one should be deleted. Another factor is the danger of coffee theft, especially in the Mount Kenya region. The unfortunate part is the incompetence in that Ministry, but let me propose. 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."
}