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{
    "id": 201671,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/201671/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 131,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Prof. Olweny",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 122,
        "legal_name": "Patrick Ayiecho Olweny",
        "slug": "patrick-olweny"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am addressing this issue because it is very serious! I have encountered it outside there. I want to solve the problem. I will come to that. I want this country to know that scientists in this country are doing good things, just like scientists in other parts of the world. We should not take them for granted. We should not say all kinds of things about them. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on medicine, the vaccination that is done--- The material that is used for vaccination is actually as a result of biotechnology. It is part of the things that we are talking about. Penicillin is as a result of biotechnology. That drug is from a bacterium and yet, we make all kinds of complaints about technology that is helping us today. As a result of genetic modification and improvement, we have what we call the green revolution across the world. It has swept across United States of America (USA), Europe, USSR, Australia and China. But Africa was left out. That is when we had super varieties of maize, rice, wheat and barley in those countries. We were left out. Today, those countries have no problem of food security. We have problems of food security. We are begging around. We are asking for food. We are not aggressive enough when it comes to research. It is sad situation for Africa. But even in Kenya, when technology that can help us is just at the door, there are some people who go around demonstrating against technology. It is very saddening. We have failed to develop super varieties the way other countries did. Yet, germplasm was taken to those countries to develop the varieties that they are feeding on today. Even the germplasm of our livestock was taken out to those other countries. Many Kenyans do not know that the hybrid maize varieties that we grow and eat are as a result of genetic modification and improvement. They are hybrids. There are different varieties and materials brought together. Ruiru 11 is a super variety that was developed at Ruiru. All kinds of strains are put together to give us that variety. So, despite the efforts across the world on crop improvement and genetic modification, Africa still remains with food insecurity as a major problem. That has been worsened by the increase in population and inappropriate technologies that we have in Africa. Of course, genetic modification is one of the most appropriate technologies today. Because of technology, there is an improvement in farming. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the time taken to develop improved crop varieties and animal breeds is lessened. That is what is supposed to be addressed. The time taken and cost is what is supposed to be addressed by genetic modification. That way, we shall have crop varieties that are developed faster. Scientists take less time to develop them. When you take less time to develop them, it costs less. Of course, genetic modification within the labs takes less space for the first few weeks, months or one or two years, before you take it out to the field. That is when you do full-blown assessment outside in the field. So, those are some of the issues which we wish to address. Scientists must adopt more refined technologies which we call genetic engineering or genetic modification. That way, they will spend less time and resources. They will use less space to help us come up with--- October 3, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4321"
}