HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 215296,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/215296/?format=api",
"text_counter": 227,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Wamunyinyi",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 291,
"legal_name": "Athanas Misiko Wafula Wamunyinyi",
"slug": "athanas-wamunyinyi"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will stop attaching names. But the point that I am raising is: For example, Clause 2, defines lifestyle advertising as: Advertising that associates a product with, or evokes a positive or negative emotion about or image of, a way of life such as one that includes glamour, sensuality, recreation, excitement, vitality, risk or daring. For example, do you not find the word \"sportsman\" on cigarettes appealing to a principled sportsman? It dictates that if you want to enjoy all through, you should take it smooth all the way? As I said, the kind of advertisements that are used need to be re-looked into, because July 5, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2339 having had the opportunity to puff, I understand what I am talking about. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, turning to cigarette production, that is where now the people who I represent are involved. It involves growing tobacco in areas where a lot of chemicals are used during spraying. However, the farmers who are involved are never advised or given anything to protect themselves with. Some of the chemicals are hazardous. The health of some farmers has been affected and some have even died. More important, is the fact that the farmers have been exploited by these tobacco companies, which do not pay any attention to what they go through. They are paid peanuts! None of those farmers who have been involved in the growing of tobacco, since its introduction in Kenya, can claim to have become rich from tobacco farming. All of them have remained poor. Most of them have died very poor. This does not only apply to the people of Bungoma and Teso districts. I believe it also applies even to the people of Mbeere and some parts of Ukambani, because I know that some tobacco is grown there. All those farmers have been exploited. Companies like British American Tobacco (BAT) and others have made money from the farmers' sweat. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, roasting of the leaves before they are transported to factories involves a process. It is picked from the farm and roasted. What does roasting involve? The farmers have to cut down trees and make firewood. This has serious and direct implications on the environment. These farmers have not been participating adequately in planting trees, but they are leading in cutting them down. I have expressed this to BAT. On the slopes of Mount Elgon, parts of Bungoma and Teso districts, trees have been cut down by these tobacco farmers. Now, they have nowhere to get the trees to roast their tobacco. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, so, apart from exploiting the farmers, these companies are dealing a major blow to the environment by cutting our trees. Our rivers are drying up as a result of this tobacco business. If the farmers were earning some money we could understand that we could double our efforts towards planting more trees. This is not the case. We should call upon those tobacco farmers to stop destroying the environment because they cannot change their lifestyles. If you go to Teso District and some sections of Bungoma District, like in the Malakisi area, you will notice that most of them still live in grass-thatched houses. They cannot afford to build houses with iron sheets. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, apart from addressing the effect of the injuries caused by smoking, I think the bigger issue is the continuous exploitation of the farmers. The companies continue to make profits while disregarding their social corporate responsibility. They do not support the farmers in their respective areas by planting trees. They do not support even the construction of schools in those areas. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for this reason, I think we should continue to appeal to our farmers to diversify and avoid growing tobacco. They should get into coffee, tea, sugar-cane, maize and other types of farming. Through this way, as we are talking of controlling smoking in public places, we will also be dealing with it at the production level. If those who are growing tobacco stop doing so, I know that those big businessmen will import it because as you are aware, those who smoke cigarettes will always look for them. They will even import them if the businessmen cannot do so. However, if the farmers leave tobacco growing, it will help us so much and our people will also benefit through uplifting of their lifestyles. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are various areas in this Bill which also---"
}