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{
    "id": 250777,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/250777/?format=api",
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    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the amendment of the Cotton Act, Cap.335, was necessitated by the need to harmonise the Government policy changes that had come in due to the liberalisation of 1991. First, the amendments were necessary in order to provide for the establishment of a cotton development body that could revive and sustain the activities of the cotton farmers. Secondly, it was necessary to regulate the privatisation that had taken place in the cotton sector immediately after liberalisation. Thirdly, they were to provide for financing of the sector. There were no more funds because the co-operative movement had already collapsed. Fourth, there was need to bring stakeholders into the fore, so that they could manage their sector. Lastly, the amendment was to reflect the liberalised status of the sector. With this, we went on to put together the amendments that have been reflected in the Cotton (Amendment) Bill. The key amendments to the principal Act, Cap.336, provide for the promotion of the cotton industry. If the hon. Members have looked at the Bill, they will realise that in Section 5(3)(i), we have established the Cotton Development Authority. It is a body corporate with an expanded Board of 15 members, taken from stakeholders from all over the country. The members have been brought together and they have decided that they need to expand the services, the understanding and the control of their own activities. For this, therefore, the provinces that grow cotton, each has now decided that they will elect a member. So, from seven provinces, seven members are going to be part of the board. To add to the seven members, the cotton stakeholders' bodies which were never used in the cotton board before have also been asked to produce four members, after their election, to add to the seven. Together with the ex-officio members from the Ministries particularly the Permanent Secretary - that support the cotton industry, that is the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry, plus the chief executive who is going to be part of the board, brings the total to 15. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the principal Act has, therefore been amended by deleting the word \"Board\" from the Cotton Board of Kenya and instead replacing it with the word \"Authority\"."
}