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{
    "id": 468373,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/468373/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 232,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "we also build families. We know the challenges we are facing today. The challenges we are facing are due to lack of basic needs, number one of which is food. I know that the Government, in its manifesto, has prioritized agriculture through irrigation. However, we also need to ask ourselves what challenges people are dealing with regarding agriculture and the exploitation they are facing. Most farmers in Mwea are suffering because of poor prices of rice. The rice is there, but there is a lot of influx of imports from outside which affect them. We are looking at agriculture and the green houses which are saving people today. I believe that when we talk about agriculture and whether the Government is committed, we also need to ask ourselves whether in the passing of the VAT Bill, we will find ourselves in a scenario where the local person will not carry out agriculture. This Motion has come at the right time but we also need to interrogate it. While we support irrigation and agriculture in our country, we also need the inputs to be affordable to our people. This should not become a project where it is only the middle-man who benefits. It should be a programme where the needy people are the ones who will benefit. I believe that is what is in the plan. We also know that we come from an area where we carry our farming, but just before we harvest, owing to the bad politics that we have, the in fights and the ethnic challenges that we face – this happened in Tana River – we start segmenting people and telling them that since they are used to being pastoralists, they should deal with it. The most important thing is that while we are trying to implement these programmes, we need to create a lot of awareness. We need to harmonise and tell the community about the challenges we are facing. I think the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) is doing a very good job. When the KRCS realized that we only used to give out maize, they decided to change their programmes and started carrying out agriculture. This is one of the institutions that we need to work with so that we look at the model they have used. That is why if you go to Turkana today, you will find some maize growing. This is because of the KRCS. If you go to West Pokot, you will also find people embracing agriculture. This is because of the KRCS. This is one of the institutions that we need to work with, especially when we are dealing with the pastoralist areas where peace and security is also an issue. When you go to Samburu in an area called Poro, you will be very impressed to see how they are carrying out agriculture. I know that the challenge they are facing is in terms of infrastructure such as roads. Therefore, I believe that as we put up systems, we need to look at infrastructure development which is a challenge, especially in pastoralist areas. Do we have the roads? This needs to be a programme where we combine all the challenges they are facing. We should ask ourselves what we stand to benefit as we carry out the projects so that we do not have one side benefiting while on another side, we are losing while things go to waste due to challenges being faced. I know that my Government is committed in all this. However, I urge the Ministry enjoined with other departments to start looking at this issue. I know that young people out there are willing to do something. This would remove them from the bad things they are doing. Recently, I watched on television a feature where some youth in Dandora were taking some illicit brew on a Sunday. I wondered why they were not in a church. The 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."
}