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{
    "id": 467786,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/467786/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 273,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "July 23, 2013 SENATE DEBATES 43 Sen. Hargura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to join my other colleagues to congratulate Sen. Lesuuda for coming up with this very important Motion as it touches many people in this country who occupy about two-thirds of our land mass and, maybe, constitute about a quarter of our entire population. For us to develop as a country with a vision, there is need to exploit the potential of each and every part of this country. Right now, we are skewed so much so that people tend to rush towards Nairobi and other urban areas to get jobs. We have been investing in sectors like crop agriculture and the manufacturing sector, but neglected what is in other parts of this country. We can only develop in an equitable manner if we develop and exploit the potential of each and every area. That way, we can complement each other; what an area has in terms of production can be marketed to another area. Arid areas, unfortunately, have been referred to as the low potential areas. This statement could only be valid if all of us were thinking from the rain-fed agriculture point of view. Unfortunately, that is what colonialists were thinking and the successive governments have been thinking and that is why we still refer to those areas as low potential areas. If we could exploit the potential which those areas can support like the livestock industry, then we would have the products from those areas being marketed even locally to other parts of the country while we have other products like foods marketed in the arid areas. So, we can easily achieve our vision if we develop all these areas according to their potential. Currently, the unfortunate scenario which has been mentioned and which is known to all Kenyans is that the people in arid areas have been left to their own whims, to survive the best way they know how; and, in fact, the animals they are keeping are not of any much use to them. You look after the animals until a drought comes, wipes them all away, and you start all over again. That is why the issue of cattle rustling is recurrent. It is recurrent because it is used as a means to restock. After the rains, people have to look for animals from elsewhere to restock. Just like if crop farmers lost their crops, they would have to look for seed. That is where the phenomenon of cattle rustling does not end. It will end when we give these people some meaningful way of keeping the animals. That is why we have to urge the current Government to do something. The Government still has a lot to do. The other day, the former Minister for Health said that it takes Kshs9 billion to start one disease free zone. Do not expect the county governments to do that. They do not even have the Kshs9 billion. Some of them are getting Kshs2 billion. To make matters worse, they are being asked to pay salaries. The national Government has a lot to carry. However, in line with this Motion, which I support, the way out for our people is to have proper ways of meat production which county governments can do by providing necessary personnel and extension officers. They have to start employing these officers. The issue of breeding was mentioned. Much as these animals are hardy and can breed in those areas, if we must get something meaningful, then we must cross breed them. We have to get breeds which can still withstand those conditions with the support of the proper feeding and veterinary services. These are things that the county governments can do. They can also provide training as it was suggested. This is necessary because you have to move these people from their way of thinking to meaningful ways of livelihoods where they think about making money out of the animals. This would help The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}