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{
    "id": 555154,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/555154/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 198,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Chanzu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 11,
        "legal_name": "Yusuf Kifuma Chanzu",
        "slug": "yusuf-chanzu"
    },
    "content": "Government decided in the year 2008 that we put money in every part of the country so that we can be able to develop and maintain the fishponds and so on, it became very clear to Kenyans that fish could come from anywhere and not just from Lake Victoria or from Indian Ocean. It is gratifying that even in areas where we never thought fish could be reared like in Central Kenya; they have been leading in rearing fish through fishponds. From the point of nutrition or food aspect, it is very important because it creates a variety of what Kenyans can be able to feed on and so on. On the issue of markets, fish is also a commodity. Apart of being food for people particularly those who reside around lakes and now around ponds, it is an item that is used to earn income, revenue and foreign exchange. Therefore, it is a sector that has not been properly organized and was not properly exploited. With this Bill, it is going to be possible for Kenyans to get an opportunity to rear fish. Apart from areas which are salty, it is not hard to rear fish because it is a matter of just collecting clean water or where water can be treated in a nice way. Then you are able to keep fish and within a short time, you can harvest them. In view of Vision 2030, we are talking about diversification and healthy living. It is very important that we all support the Bill, so that it can put in place structures and institutions which can enable us to rear fish for our local consumption and for export. If you look at it critically, for those who eat fish at home, leave alone those who fish around Lake Victoria and other areas, it is a very expensive meal. It is a special meal because of its nutrients. This will help us. If families rear fish, they will get fish for their food and for the market. Fish is one of the things that can be used to boost our economy, if all Kenyans are encouraged to rear fish in areas where there is water. That means that the Government will have to put in a bit of funding. A lot of research needs to be done to look around and see the kind of fish species that we can rear and how they can be kept. There are varieties of fish starting with the Omena which, if we are not careful in terms of how we keep them, they will disappear. We have Eels and the famous Tilapia which, because of lack of proper care, the quantities have been dwindling - including the ones in Lake Victoria. That is because the Mbuta came in. We need to maintain all of them. The Mbuta is very good for commercial purposes. This requires a lot of research and, therefore, a lot of funding. It requires a lot of organisation so that we can rear fish which can be used for all the purposes that we want. This is a very important Bill. I support it and I ask all of us to support and provide funding for it, so that we can all rear fish."
}