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{
    "id": 639780,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/639780/?format=api",
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    "content": "function of the National Assembly but reporting what is happening in these institutions must come to the Senate because we are here to protect the interest of the counties to the extent that any report or function which will be performed by these institutions should not be seen from the eyes of only the institution that does the budget because it does so on behalf of all of us. However, in terms of reporting and oversight, as a Senate, we must keep a watchful eye. Even as I agree that this Bill is very bulky, important and captures many issues, we need to ensure that reports that come from this institution must come to Parliament; the National Assembly and the Senate. As I said earlier, this Bill gives us an opportunity to harness a sector that has been ignored for a long time. For many years, even pastoralism has been ignored in this country. Now therefore, we are coming to our senses and saying that it is important that we harness and manage the fisheries sector in a manner that is beneficial to the national and the local communities. I am grateful that this Bill talks a lot about participation of the local economies; issues related to equipment that will be used, domestication of international law, marketing and so on. Lastly, in Clause 201, there is an elevation of a sector; the board of directors of the fish marketing authority shall consist of the chairperson appointed by the President and so on. Again, this authority is important but in relation to what Sen. Elachi said, about a year ago or so, the President suggested that we need to reduce the number of parastatals in this county. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, however, if you look at all the Bills we have been passing here, every day we are talking about new institutions. Is it possible that the Kenya Fisheries Service does both the marketing and development and perhaps creates different committees or directorates; you have the Director-General but you have marketing, fish development, fish protection departments and so on? I encourage Sen. Elachi - I heard her eloquent presentation in so far as that issue is concerned - to look into bringing an amendment that marries the marketing department with the service department so that we reduce these institutions because we are engaging in a paradox; hypocrisy. On one hand we are saying that there are too many institutions that are dealing with the same sector. We also need to know to what extent we will reduce the institutions under the Agriculture and Fisheries Act that was also dealing with matters of fisheries and to what extent because there was this move towards the elections; that, we marry all agricultural parastatals to one institution. This seems to have already failed because every sector seems to have its own challenges. However, even as we do that, it would be sad if we have three parastatals in the fisheries sector; marketing, development, environmental protection and security related issues. Before we go to the Committee Stage, I suggest that the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries leads us in trimming down the largesse that comes with this institution. Kenyans would like to have less at the top and more resources at the bottom. We have spent so many resources employing people. We have spent a lot of resources hiring staff; we are using a lot of resources on overheads yet we have the opportunity to become lean. We have a “fat Government”. I would rather we fatten the people of Kenya and 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"
}