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{
    "id": 6370,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/6370/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 377,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Mungatana",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 185,
        "legal_name": "Danson Buya Mungatana",
        "slug": "danson-mungatana"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you look at the authority of Parliament, under our Constitution, you will find that one of the things that we need to do all the time is to debate and bring issues of concern to Kenyans before this House and find solutions. To that end, this Motion proposes a solution that is workable. I support that this House should get the Government to avail a grant of Kshs2 billion to the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) to enable it provide appropriate relief to both crop and livestock farmers in all the 47 counties adversely affected by the prolonged drought in the country. I support this Motion for the following reasons. The first one is that this country when it comes to paying for adversity that affects this nation, many times we have gone to the Treasury, mobilized and saved situations. This includes this year when almost Kshs4 billion was moved from various Ministries to try and save the situation. While that is a commendable effort by the Government, what is more forward-looking is to encourage and cushion the farmers who are the producers so that production is guaranteed and continued. Instead of us waiting to come and pay farmers when there is a problem, it is important to cushion them so that they can make farming a profitable venture. When there is a problem such as adverse weather, the Government should not release the producers to the vagaries and leave them to suffer the consequences of bad weather. It is important for this Parliament to say that it is possible for the Government to do something about the farmers so that they do not have their properties mortgaged and sold and the houses where their families live and the machinery that they use sold. It is important that this money is made available to these farmers. Kenya will not be the first country that has gone down this line. Farmers in more developed parts of the world have had serious cushioning from their own governments, particularly when they have bad weather or even when they have over-production. I would like to ask the Government, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture to make available these Funds through the Treasury because we will not be the first nation that has taken positive steps towards helping farmers so that they can continue in the process of production. Many countries including the US, in terms of the maize production belt protect farmers directly or even through agencies to ensure that there is a continuous production of food for that nation. I truly want to join those who will agree with us that we need to pass this Motion and pass it as fast as possible. The final thing I want to say is that the Kshs2 billion will come from the Consolidated Fund. We all make contributions to the Consolidated Fund. That includes Tana River County and other counties. We make contributions to that Consolidated Fund. The sad bit of this, and why I feel that there is discrimination in this Motion, is that it is not all the 47 counties that have been able to get loans from the AFC. On several occasions, the practice has been that it is people from certain areas that have benefited from the AFC. Tana River County has not been one of those that have benefited from these loans. Going forward, we need Government agencies that will operate with the counties in mind. Specifically speaking, if the AFC and the Ministry of Agriculture are listening, it will be important in future that when they give loans, just like when the CDF money is being distributed, there be a minimum that is reserved per constituency or county. This is because this is a Government agency distributing loans which are given from our taxpayers’ monies and all of us contribute to these monies. It is important that a certain percentage is set aside so that members of the Tana River County and other counties are guaranteed that a certain amount of money is available to them in terms of securing loans. You will find that the most blessed parts of this country are the ones who get most loans and then when it comes to failure of crop, they are the ones who are going to be paid for the loans as this Motion proposes and then the rest of us in the marginalized parts of the country end up losing. It is our money which supports those people who are already developed. So, going forward, I would very much urge the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) to consider a policy that will be keeping a certain amount of money just like we have in other Government funds that this minimal should be available to the people of Tana River County and other counties. When other people are asking for more money because of other reasons, then that should follow the normal processes. Otherwise this is a good Motion that should be supported because we need to protect our farmers so that they can continue producing food for us."
}