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"id": 240802,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Karaba",
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"legal_name": "Daniel Dickson Karaba",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this chance to contribute in support of this wonderful Motion. It is important to note that famine in this country should be a thing of the past. This is because we are well endowed with resources in some areas of this country. We have facilities that can cope with equitable distribution of resources. The problem is mismanagement of resources. As you all know, one-quarter of Kenya's land mass is arable land. This arable land receives enough rainfall. The problem we have is that even after food is produced from this arable part of our country, it is very hard to transport it to other areas experiencing food deficit. For instance, in Kirinyaga District, where I come from, Nyandarua and Nyeri Districts, a lot of food crops go to waste because of inadequate infrastructure. We have roads which are not well maintained. The fuel levy money given to most areas cannot sustain crop production. It is, therefore, apparent that the Government should improve infrastructure in agriculturally rich areas. In that way, agricultural produce will easily be transported to regions experiencing food shortage. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have perishable produce such as horticultural crops, tea, potatoes and milk. But you will see in some areas that after a farmer puts in a lot of money to produce a certain crop, he or she will not get access to markets due to poor infrastructure. This Motion, therefore, is seeking to underline the need to help our farmers, so that they can earn a living and appreciate what the Government is doing to assist them. We should also note that some of the areas, which are said to be arable, are in regions whose communities are not agriculturalists. There is a lot of infighting and instigated tribal clashes, which scare off agricultural communities. If there is an area with members of a community who are not indigenous in that area and, therefore, not tuned to the activities there, they should integrate with the indigenous communities. That way, they will be able to put land to maximum use. Let us make sure that we put to maximum use the natural resources in our country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, take the example of swamps. Our Government needs to reclaim swampy areas and support communities to grow crops such as rice and cotton. The Government should be able to control and regulate the flow of rivers so that even during rainy 2372 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 26, 2006 seasons, communities living in the agricultural areas are funded in order to put to maximum use their land. A good example is Kano Plains. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if River Nyando and other rivers passing through Nyando Plains could be controlled, it would be possible to make use of the plains for farming. I am sure that we can get a lot of food from the Nyando and Kano Plains. The food from these plains will not only help the people of Nyanza Province, but also the neighbouring provinces. This can only be done through effective flood control in that area. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have poor distribution of resources in this country. We have nomadic tribes in North Eastern Province, Rift Valley Province and Eastern Province which keep a lot of cattle. Destocking is a problem in these areas until drought strikes. If we could have properly trained field veterinary doctors who would be able to advise pastoralist farmers to cull their livestock during the time of need, I am sure farmers would enjoy the profits they would get from the sale of their livestock. We should ensure that there are selected slaughterhouses in the pastoralist areas to avoid long distance travel of livestock. It is possible to transport meat from these areas, using aircraft. That is what is happening in Nigeria, and I believe it can happen here too. In areas where the market is further than the production areas, the Government should come in and help to transport the products to the market. If that can be done, we will no longer talk of famine in Kenya. We shall benefit immensely from the dry areas of this country. We could even exchange agricultural activities with the pastoral communities so that they also grow crops. Such a change can also be meaningful. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, lwe should also think about storage of our crops. We have very poor storage facilites in Kenya located in our grain-producing areas. Before cereals are stored in silos, the Government should ensure that they are dry enough so that they last longer. It is such stored cereals that help whenever drought strikes. If we were to depend on food aid from countries like Canada, USA or Australia--- Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, consider the distance between Kenya and those countries and the way the cereals will have been stored. It is such imported cereals that easily get contaminated with aflatoxin, which is harmful to our health. We need their food, but we are not sure of how they store it. We need the food, but we are not very sure about its safety and who is producing it. We should be sure of the continuity of the supply. We should support this Motion because it establishes a fund that could be used to compensate farmers in case of crop failure due to natural calamities. Subsidies should be paid to farmers of certain crops in case of crop failure due natural calamities. When that subsidy is provided, just like Sudan and the southern part of America, we would be supporting our farmers who would have been distressed without that money. That could also encourage farmers to continue growing the same crop in future, even when the drought persists. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is important to note that when we support our farmers, we are supporting development. That development will mean more jobs - the 500,000 jobs per year that the Government promised when it took over. It is also important to note that if we want Kenya to be industrialised by the year 2020, we need to appreciate agro-based industries."
}