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{
    "id": 181379,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/181379/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 261,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Gabbow",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 258,
        "legal_name": "Mohamed Hussein Gabbow",
        "slug": "mohammed-gabbow"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to contribute to this Motion on the development of the livestock policy. I will be very brief because most of the issues have been tackled. I want to urge the Ministry to start cross-breeding of animals. This will raise the quality of the indigenous animals I would also want to talk about the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC). The KMC has not been doing a good job. Most of the animals taken to the market are exotic. Most of the animals that they are buying right now come from the white farmers, and our animals are given a raw deal. We need to make sure that the animals from the pastoralist areas are given consideration. We are not very happy with what is happening at the KMC. We are also talking about creating abattoirs in areas where livestock is reared. For example, in Wajir we have an international airport. The proximity of Wajir to Saudi Arabia, which at the moment imports animals from as far as New Zealand and Australia--- It is a market that is ready. We only need to have some cooling facility, because the airport is ready. We also need to increase veterinary or extension officers; of late we have not had employment of veterinary officers. I do not know whether there is an embargo on that. They should be employed to improve the control of diseases. There are so many animals and the officers are quite few in the field. I am glad that the issue of a revolving fund is coming up. We hear about loans being given to farmers, but livestock farmers are not part of that. We would like to see development of a financial institution to mitigate the effects of drought. We are also asking if the Ministry could develop cooling houses so that we could market our meet locally. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is a sad story of the Livestock Marketing Division and livestock holding grounds. We know that very powerful people have grabbed that land, yet it is a Government land. It is an issue that has to be tackled. At the moment, we do not have any holding grounds. What we have is in the hands of very few rich people. We would like the Government, or the Ministry, to move fast and repossess that land, regardless of the status of the owners. It should not fear them, because this is Government land, and we are aware that it should be repossessed. With those few remarks, I beg to end my contribution. October 30, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3209"
}