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{
    "id": 328657,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/328657/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 360,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Kosgei",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Agriculture",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 59,
        "legal_name": "Sally Jepngetich Kosgei",
        "slug": "sally-kosgei"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, this Bill is about the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), which was established in 1996 under the State Corporations Act, with a mandate to update quality control services through administration of regulatory framework, with focus on protection of plant resources and facilitation of trade, but more importantly to protect our own agricultural products, and also establish standards in the industry. The mandate that was given to KEPHIS at the time was limited. The mandate is governed by Acts of Parliament but we seek now to expand the mandate to give some more teeth to KEPHIS to be able to control what comes into Kenya and, indeed, to protect the breeders of our own intellectual property rights. This is what we seek to do now. Because of this, we want KEPHIS to be re- organized, so that it becomes an independent authority under the relevant Ministry. We seek to give it the proper normal arrangements that exist in other arrangements to work as a board. That is to give it proper administrative structure and legal cover. It is a very simple Bill in that it is not changing anything much, and it will not cost much. All that we want to do is to make it more effective and be in keeping with the current regulations in the country, and also with the new Constitution. Furthermore, we want to enable KEPHIS to be represented at various counties, so that it can deliver services to farmers, consumers and breeders. It will also protect the intellectual rights of the breeders of seeds and plants."
}