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{
"id": 226800,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/226800/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "[Prof. Olweny]",
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"speaker": {
"id": 122,
"legal_name": "Patrick Ayiecho Olweny",
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"content": "country. However, I blame the Government for one thing: Several companies, factories and organisations were brought down during the previous regime, but the current Government has not brought anybody to book. That is the issue that we are addressing here today. The people who brought down Ramisi Sugar Factory should be brought to book. Why did they do it? Under what circumstances did a few people decide to loot, sell or do whatever they did to Kilifi Cashewnut Factory? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, during the previous regime, several factories were brought down. One-and-a-half years ago, the Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resources, to which I belong, visited Ramisi where there used to be a sugar-cane factory. Today, there is no structure standing there. Someone decided to bring down everything. Every metallic thing that was there, including the mill, the building and the pipes were sold out as scrap metal. Someone brought down the factory and up-to-date nobody cares about Ramisi Sugar Factory. I think the land that was there has been invaded by squatters and nobody has cared to ask. It should be the responsibility of this Government to open up some of those graves, bring out the corpses that are inside there and let us know who was responsible for looting Miwani Sugar Company, KCC, KMC and Kilifi Cashewnut Factory. I would like to congratulate the person who is running the cashewnut factory today. It is being run by Millennium Company and it is doing well. However, because of what happened previously, I do not think that factory is getting enough cashewnuts to process. The farmers who used to grow cashewnuts pulled out. So, this informs us that if a few people decide to bring down factories and companies, it affects the economy of the whole region. The economy of the Coast Province is now affected. The few cash crops that they 526 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 11, 2007 were depending on are cashewnuts, sugar-cane, coconut and sisal. Farmers there do not grow sugar-cane any more. Cashewnuts are almost gone because a few people decided to bring down the cashewnut factory. These people must be brought to book. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some of the reasons why several companies and factories were brought down in this country are simply corruption and greed. The people who looted them were a greedy lot and they only wanted to enrich themselves. I really do not know where they have reached with all that wealth. Some of them are not very happy despite being very wealthy. These are the things we need investigated and the culprits brought to book. If you look around the country, for instance, Nyanza Province, we know that Miwani Sugar Company could be revived because the Government is doing all it can. However, we want to know who brought down Miwani Sugar Company. Some of the people who brought down that company are still doing their businesses there. If you go to the Kisumu Cotton Mills (KICOMI), the machinery there was all sold out. What is left are the buildings only. The same applies to the Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) plant in Kisumu. Everything that was there was taken to Tanzania. What is left is just an empty building. These could be private companies, but if someone is transferring all these things to a neighbouring country, is that person not impoverishing Kenyans? I think we should have a law that prevents even investors from transferring such equipment to another country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we used to grow cotton in this country. Farmers stopped growing it when KICOMI collapsed and the ginneries brought down. In fact, some of the ginneries had their machinery looted. It is the same thing that was done to Ramisi Sugar Factory. We need such plunder to be investigated. The people who looted these companies and factories must be brought to book because what they did has really affected the economy of this country. Many Kenyans have become poor as a result of activities of just a few people. There were a few people in former President Moi's Government who were doing all these things and they must be brought to book. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few comments, I beg to support."
}