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{
    "id": 427392,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/427392/?format=api",
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    "content": "to appeals from specific counties because they feel that they are either competent or they have reached a stage where they want to deal with those issues. So, even as we debate this Report, it is important that we ask ourselves what we will do with those counties that did not appeal because we do not know whether they are interested or not. We are not going to assume. Mr. Speaker, Sir, to my mind, the issue of capacity building is one of the most important issues that we need to deal with. For example, I had the privilege of working in the Ministry of Agriculture as an Assistant Minister in the defunct central Government. One of the things that I know the Ministry of Agriculture tried to emphasize a lot of times was extensions services. These are services given by extension officers. One of the biggest failings why we have shortage of food in this country is lack of capacity building in agricultural activities. Initially, extension officers were trained in Egerton College which is now current Egerton University. Even nowadays farmers do not take extension services seriously. An extension officer was taken to Murang’a to show farmers how to deal with soil erosion or how to use fertilizers, or what seeds to use. When that happened, we found that the counties or those farmers were able to maximize their production. That died naturally. The extension officers became joy riders. They went to the counties and started doing their own businesses and forgot what it is that had taken them there. Extension services died. Mr. Speaker, Sir, even as we talk about the functions that we need to transfer to the counties, it is my considered and humble opinion that the challenge is now upon the counties to identify their needs. Agriculture has almost been wholly devolved to emphasize and to underline the emphasis on extension services so that we can, at least, have food security in all those counties where agriculture is fundamental. It is possible to deal more seriously with extension services in the devolved system of government because we are dealing with smaller areas. I know that was always a challenge for the Ministry of Agriculture in the then central Government. However, the time is now for the county governments to take this function more seriously. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have discussed about the court cases, and Sen. Kajwang talked about the referral of our matter to the Supreme Court. I feel good that, yesterday, the High Court found that the Senate acted properly in summoning Governors to come and explain matters of financial impropriety in their counties."
}