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{
    "id": 542806,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/542806/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 240,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Oginga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 194,
        "legal_name": "Oburu Ngona Odinga",
        "slug": "oburu-odinga"
    },
    "content": "Government can use compulsory acquisition provisions in the law to acquire the land. As long as the land does not require change of user and it is going to continue to be used for the same purpose, even if it is in private hands, there is no way we can pass a resolution, without amending the law, that this land is going to revert back to the communities when the land is privatised. The question of privatisation of these factories has been a very long process. In fact, in the previous Parliament, we used to have a caucus of Members of Parliament from the sugar-growing areas. This caucus was pushing for privatisation because we knew that very soon there were going to be COMESA rules which would allow importation of cheap sugar from the COMESA countries without payment of duty. The Kenya Government has appealed on very many occasions for this privilege to be extended so that COMESA sugar does not come here. However, now we have almost come to a dead end when extensions cannot be given anymore. If we do not agree with privatisation immediately, the sugar industry is in a very difficult situation. I am a member of the Departmental Committee on Finance, Planning and Trade. Consultations between stakeholders have been there previously and many meetings have been held. I remember there is one which was held at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu where all stakeholders, including Members of Parliament, farmers and representatives from investors attended. Recommendations were made for the privatisation of these factories. I believe these factories should be privatised with the participation of the farmers. Farmers can participate through their cooperatives or as individuals. The counties should also be involved in investing in these sugar factories. We also need strategic investors who can pump in sufficient funds to revive these factories so that they can generate benefits to the people. As it is, with invasion of cheap sugar from the COMESA countries like Kenana Factory in South Sudan, our sugar factories, with the present inefficiencies, are not going to compete with those. They have to collapse. When sugar factories collapse, it is a very big tragedy because thuggery, theft and murders increase in those areas. It is, therefore, a very serious thing for our people to have these factories running efficiently once again. We have many examples of countries that produce sugar. However, sugar is more of a by-product than the main product of these factories. It was suggested many years ago, I do not whether hon. Dalmas was the Minister for Industry, that a law be introduced for power alcohol. The proposal was that sugar be used to produce power alcohol which was going to blend fuel which is imported very expensively from other countries. This was going to save Kenya a great deal in foreign exchange. Because of politics, it has not been possible to introduce that law. Many countries blend their fuel up to 30 per cent using a local product, which greatly saves foreign exchange. Sugar factories can also be used for generation of coal power and sell it to the national grid. Sugar---"
}