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{
"id": 192706,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/192706/?format=api",
"text_counter": 175,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Baya",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons",
"speaker": {
"id": 10,
"legal_name": "Francis S. K. Baya",
"slug": "francis-baya"
},
"content": " Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I stand to support the Budget Statement made by the Minister. In doing so, I would first of all like to say a few things about the fiscal policies that were spelt out in that Speech. There was, for instance, the zero-rating of VAT on wheat and maize flour. There is also provision for duty-free maize that is going to be imported for the strategic grain reserve. I am sure if this proposal, and others, are translated into action, perhaps the effect will be felt by the Kenyan population, particulary the very poor. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Minister also indicated that consultations are on- going with a view to setting up a factory for producing fertilizer. If these consultations materialise, this will also support the very important sub-sector of agriculture. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, there were some areas where either there was no mention or emphasis on. I want to point out these areas. When you look at the agricultural sub- June 24, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1343 sector, there were some complaints that the Minister raised to the effect that the grain basket of this country, which is the Rift Valley Province, was highly affected by the violence that rocked this country soon after the general election. This is true. Due to this, we all know that we are going to be affected in terms of agricultural productivity. As a result of this, we should have thought of ways of making sure that we do not always rely on one particular region for our survival. I have in mind mitigation that the Minister should have proposed, like irrigation. There was no mention of irrigation. I feel that this is very important. I have been in a country with a very huge population of 1.41 billion people. These people are fed and the country has enough to export. This is India. Unless we stop reliance on the seasonal rains, we will not be able to feed this country in the future. We will depend on importations. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I also note that in most areas, particularly Coast Province, there is a critical shortage of Agricultural Extension Officers. These are some of the areas where I feel, perhaps, more money would have been put, so that most areas are covered by these very important field officers. I have already talked of the possibility of irrigating this land. But, unfortunately, the particular irrigation unit was moved from the Ministry of Agriculture to that of Water and Irrigation. It is all the same. But, for emphasis, I would like to underline the fact that some studies have been done. In the Coast Province, for instance, I was the chairman of a regional authority. Madam Chair you were also a member of that authority. There are documents that were prepared as part of the National Water Master Plan. In that document, there is a recommendation that water from Sabaki or Galana River could be used for domestic and agricultural activities. That is irrigation. The proposal indicates that a canal could be dug from Salaget down to Rare, where building of a huge dam was proposed. This is one area where the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, if some funds were voted for this project, would help. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, there is also a study that was done by experts from Israel on Lake Chala in Taita Taveta District. They indicated that we could pump about 200 million litres of water a day and it would take 20 years for the level of the water to drop by one eighth. It was recommended, therefore, that water from Lake Chala could be utilised in irrigating the drier parts of Taveta---"
}