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{
    "id": 619758,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/619758/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 249,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Wandayi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2960,
        "legal_name": "James Opiyo Wandayi",
        "slug": "james-opiyo-wandayi"
    },
    "content": "It is important that as we debate this Report, we do not lose sight of the bigger picture. The Report is aptly titled “The Crisis Facing the Sugar Industry in Kenya”. Unfortunately, it has been reduced to Mumias and I think that is deliberate. The crisis in the sugar industry is much bigger than Mumias, granted that Mumias Sugar Company accounts for 60 per cent of local production. The fact of the matter is that, as a country, we have got sugar deficit. For a fact, this country only produces about 600,000 metric tonnes of sugar annually and yet, we are told that consumption stands at about 800,000 metric tonnes. That means, therefore, a deficit of about 200,000 metric tonnes has to be met through importation. We are told that importation has to be from COMESA countries. That is the elephant in the room that has to be addressed. The crisis in the sugar industry could have been contributed, to a small extent, by the shenanigans in Mumias. I can say without fear of contradiction that this crisis has largely been contributed by a cartel of protected people who, under the guise of making importation to bridge this deficit, have continued to smuggle contraband sugar into this country with impunity. That is the matter that has to be addressed that the Committee was unable to unravel. You will recall that the Committee, where I sit, summoned almost every other person that we thought had authority over these matters. The Committee summoned the Inspector-General of Police, the then Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the top management of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and anybody else you can imagine. What amazed us is that none of these key and high ranking Government officials could explain to us how contraband sugar gets its way into this country or who is actually involved in that smuggling. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to understand that this kind of illicit business cannot happen without connivance at the highest The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}