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{
    "id": 548201,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/548201/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 181,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Haji",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 26,
        "legal_name": "Yusuf Mohammed Haji",
        "slug": "yusuf-haji"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is quite in order for the petitioner to petition the Senate. However, we should consider the larger interest of Kenya as a country. We know that tea is one of the major exports which earn this country foreign exchange. We know, from experience, that we used to have large farms where livestock was being reared particularly beef animals. We used to export beef to Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Mauritius. Those farms have been acquired by the indigenous people and subdivided, some of them into one, two and three acres, which is not even economical for them to produce enough food. Some of the multinationals which have been driving these large tea farms have been in this country for over 120 years. I presume that many of the investors are also Kenyan citizens today. Besides disrupting the economy of this country, we do not want to run into a situation similar to what is happening in Zimbabwe. Because of forcible takeover of farms, that country is totally ruined economically and it is now a banana republic. Because of those happenings in some parts of Africa, I think the idea of removing these investors so that people can subdivide these farms into half-an-acre or one acre portions will not even be useful to the people. Therefore, since this matter is already in court, maybe we should wait for the wisdom of the courts; to decide whether these people should be compensated or not. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. 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."
}