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{
    "id": 33712,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/33712/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 468,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Kosgei",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Agriculture",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13,
        "legal_name": "Lucas Kipkosgei Chepkitony",
        "slug": "lucas-chepkitony"
    },
    "content": "GMOs. There is a lot of maize. In some areas like the North Rift, farmers will have their maize ready. Maybe we should direct our collective responsibilities or voices towards buying from them. You may well ask why I have not done it. I can only do what the Vote allows me to do. However, we need our collective voices to be able to feed these people. As I once said in this House, those who have the food are not the ones who are actually starving. Those who have the food need to sell it to somebody. That person should then be able to make it available for the people who are suffering. Furthermore, we have policies which we have started to implement in all these areas where there is constant food deficit. If we have enough water we can actually grow food in those areas which then does not involve us in buying. If we grow enough food, then we, as a Ministry or as people, can make it available. Currently, what am I doing about this? I have at least three or four countries which are willing to do something for us to start having proper agriculture in those areas and also to deal with the constant loss of animals. I think that we should all, however, accept that climate change is real and it is with us. It is not a story; it affects us. Yes, there is much that the Government can do. However, there is also a lot that we cannot respond to immediately because of the fact that it is somewhat expensive. For example, we have tried constantly to make fertilizer available and we have not used the money to build a fertilizer factory even though that was a Motion which was passed by this House because we do not have those resources yet. We have made access to credit possible and we are trying our best – we are almost halfway there – to make available insurance to farmers for crop loss. This has to be done if Kenya is going to be able to produce food. Kenya’s problem is that over half of this country is arid or semi-arid. We have to address that issue of being arid or semi arid. We can, in fact, pass the blame here and there, but the truth of the matter is that the policies exist. We are not all brain-dead; we know what should be done. However, we need the resources to do so. We are trying our best. Where we have not been able to get them locally, we are working very hard. I can tell you there are about three or four countries which are willing to help us with irrigation to produce food in the food deficit areas, so that permanently, we are able to feed those people. Thank you."
}