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{
    "id": 763320,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/763320/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 246,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Melly",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12849,
        "legal_name": "Julius Kipbiwot Melly",
        "slug": "julius-kipbiwot-melly"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I thank Members from both sides of the political divide for their passion and commitment to this Motion. I tell the public that Members of this House have taken this Motion with a lot of passion. We need to fix our sugar subsector and, by extension, the entire agriculture sector. I thank our Chief Whip, Hon. Washiali, for being diligent in pointing out who exactly brought down the sugar industry in this country. The efforts that the Jubilee Government, especially the President and the Deputy President, have made in trying to bring up the ailing mills is commendable. They have pumped over Kshs500 million to Chemilil Sugar Factory, Kshs1 billion to Mumias Sugar Factory and another Kshs1 billion to SONY Sugar Factory. This sector was brought down by known individuals. Hon. Members have pointed out what we need to do. I thank Members for raising the issue of penalties. The sugar-cane millers need to be penalised if they delay making payments to farmers for a year. We are going to review the Sugar Act to make sure that millers who hold onto farmers’ money eventually pay the same with interest at commercial bank rates. That will help us to crack the whip in the sugar industry, especially against cartels and importers. It will bring the sugar subsector into the limelight and give Kenya the image it once enjoyed as a sugar exporter, and when farmers were paid timely. I urge the Committee on Implementation, and the Ministry of Agriculture to take this matter seriously because it is a resolution of this House that we are going to treat farmers well because we represent them. We are going to assist them well. I urge hon. Members to support the Motion so that sugar-cane farmers can be paid within 14 days of cane delivery to millers. With those many remarks, I urge Kenyans to maintain peace and make sure that we love our neighbours. We voted on 8th August and won as Jubilee. On 26th October, let us go and vote again and ensure that Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta is elected the President of the Republic of Kenya. Thank you."
}