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{
"id": 328671,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/328671/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Wamalwa",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 148,
"legal_name": "Eugene Ludovic Wamalwa",
"slug": "eugene-wamalwa"
},
"content": " Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to support this Bill and thank the Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Sally Kosgei, for bringing it to this House. I come from the breadbasket of this country, that is, Trans Nzoia County, where we are privileged to house both KEPHIS and the Kenya Seed Company. I know that over the years, the Kenya Seed Company has produced some of the best seeds in this country. It has been a source of seeds not just to Kenyan farmers, but also to Tanzanian farmers. If you go to Kampala in Uganda, you will find that they are using our seeds. However, we have always had a problem every year of fake seed. We do know that this is one thing that has affected our effort in realizing our national food security. Through this Bill, we do see very clear legal measures to counter the problem of fake seeds by ensuring that we give KEPHIS proper inspectors, who will have powers to enter premises, inspect and establish the whereabouts of the merchants who have been supplying fake seeds to farmers and put in place measures that will ensure that we bring this menace to a stop. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, we also know that apart from being able to trace those fellows who have been supplying fake seeds, we have lacked the necessary legal framework to bring about punitive laws that will deal with this menace. I am very pleased to see, under Clause 14 of this Bill clear provisions dealing with people who will be tampering with sampling of seeds or perhaps with intent to deceive or procure fake seeds. Recently, we passed a Bill on the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), where we have introduced very serious punitive measures against people who will be found with materials or trying to interfere with our examinations. The kind of penalties that we have imposed are very punitive, including five years imprisonment and a fine of Kshs1 million, so as to guard against the menace of exam cheats. However, I urge the Minister to look at the penalties that have been provided under Clause 14, because they are quite lenient. For example, a person found guilty of an offence, under Clause 14, will pay a fine not exceeding Kshs5,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months. This is quite lenient because those fellows who deal in fake seeds make millions of shillings. We know of some large-scale farmers who have been implicated and taken ordinary commercial maize from their farms and tried to colour and brand them as Kenya Seed Company seed maize. If we do not have punitive measures, we will continue having this menace and Kenyans will continue getting fake seeds. We will be asking, as we pass this Bill, that perhaps the Minister could look at the possibility of enhancing the penalties to put these checks in place. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, probably, the Bill might need some cleaning up, because of the two titles. We have The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service Bill, 2011 and inside we have The Seeds and Plant Varieties (Amendment) Bill, 2011. Perhaps, it is just a matter of cleaning up. On page 1783, we have clear parts. Part I is on the preliminary and Part II is on the establishment of the Service while Part III is on the financial aspect. We need those parts to be clearly set out. Perhaps, it is just a matter of cleaning. Otherwise, it is a good Bill and we wish to support it. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, we also wish to encourage the Minister for Agriculture, because we have a seed company which produces the best seed--- Members of this House have been urging - and I have been part of that membership - the Ministry of Agriculture to look at the possibility of establishing a fertilizer factory in our country. Before I was appointed to the Cabinet, I did bring a Motion before this House which was adopted and feasibility studies were done. If we have a seed company and a fertilizer factory in this country, we will remove Kenya from the food insecure nations of the world. This country has the capacity to produce enough food not just for its citizens, but also for export. This will be possible when we have seeds and laws protecting the quality of our seeds such as the one that the Minister has brought before this House. We should also have a fertilizer factory established in this country. I urge the Minister to be the Minister who will make the history of having a fertilizer factory established in this country during her tenure. But if she fails to do so, I promise that it will be one of my top priorities to ensure that we have a fertilizer factory when I become the President. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to support."
}