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{
    "id": 654025,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/654025/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 397,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. F. K. Wanyonyi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2065,
        "legal_name": "Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi",
        "slug": "ferdinard-kevin-wanyonyi"
    },
    "content": "The KMC needs much more money to do their work. Modernisation of their equipment needs much more than Kshs200 million. They needed at least Kshs600 million to modernize their equipment. When they made a presentation to the Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Cooperatives, we realised that they are going to use some of this money to buy stock and modernise machines. Their slaughter houses are very old. They were asking for Kshs600 million. If they had been given half of that amount, they would do a good job. Part of the marketing programme, which we have insisted they should do, is for export. They have a lot of outlets in Hong Kong, the Middle East and Dubai. Dubai prefers meat from this country. The Kshs200 million is very little and not enough to buy coolers. Currently, you find a dairy farmer from Kiambu bringing milk all the way to Nairobi. Milk is supposed to be kept in coolers, at least, 30 minutes after milking. Beyond that, they use some chemicals to preserve it, which is hazardous. That is why I am saying this money is not enough. Anyway, let us give them the Kshs200 million and see what they can do with it. I also want to say something about agriculture. Again, the money that the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries wanted, particularly the Irrigation Department, is not enough. Whatever they asked for has been reduced. I am hoping the reduction from some State Corporations will go towards agriculture. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of this country, both in terms of export and the creation of employment. The rural employment in agriculture is very high. We have given the Ministry very little money. We are talking about Kshs42 million which is not enough. The money given to universities is alright. It should help the students. Some of it will go to HELB. Most of the students pay about Kshs74,000 per semester. The CDF has come in to assist. This money is sufficient. It will go to salaries, but part of it, I am made to understand, will go to HELB. That is fine. I hope I will have time to sit in the Budget and Appropriations Committee to rein in some of these people. Financing of irrigation and drainage infrastructure is a very good programme. For example, projects like the Galana Irrigation Project at the Coast. The Department of Irrigation wanted Kshs400 million. Part of that is for eradication of diseases. However, that is not enough. Tsetse flies are a menace which is driving tourists away at the Coast. The Coast region is very popular with tourism. We must eradicate tsetse flies completely. We have tried, but we have not done enough. I hope and pray that this money will go towards eradication of tsetse flies in the Coast, particularly at the Galana Kulalu Food Security Irrigation Project. We should do that because the area is good for livestock and irrigation. You can imagine two or three tourists dying from sleeping sickness. It will send a wrong signal to the rest of the world. This is something that we should talk about."
}