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{
    "id": 789480,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/789480/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 117,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. First of all, I want to thank everybody for very incisive contributions on the Food Security Bill. This is a Bill that is anchored in Article 43 of the Constitution on the social economic rights. It is an important Bill because the right to adequate, quality and quantity food is important. As a Senate, we have a responsibility to ensure that Article 43 of the Constitution on social economic rights does not sit pretty in the Constitution without being implemented. We should provide a structure of governance that can facilitate it. Everybody in this House agrees that it is important that this Bill is made into law. The question which we agreed the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries must look at before we get into Third Reading, is whether we need another parastatal under this Act as proposed here to carry out the responsibilities in the Act. We need to think through the role of the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) and other bodies working on matters of food security and see whether we can amalgamate their responsibilities under one entity. That will be guided by the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. I believe they will do robust public participation to facilitate a proper discussion. We do not also want a situation where the State trading enterprises are growing to a level where they cannot be managed. There is no need to create another body with nine board members and a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and spend more money on overheads and recurrent expenditure at the expense of proper development. Mr. Speaker, Sir, once this Bill is passed, it will obligate the State to do the things that are provided for under it, for example, to report on the status of food security in the country. It will also ensure that matters related to distribution and supply of food to needy communities and areas, are not only dealt with by the national Government, but also by county governments. We have been sent here to be the solution and not complainants. That is what I have been telling my colleagues. Sometimes we go to a public rally in the villages and towns and the only thing we do is to complain. Even where we are the solution to the problem, we just complain. It is easy to make a name by complaining, but difficult to work hard and ensure that we are delivering on the promises we made to our people. As hon. MPs, let us also do something instead of complaining year in, year out. Those of us who come from maize growing areas, let us do something to alleviate the plight of our farmers. If we are dealing with cartels that are in the agricultural sector, let us ensure that we are facilitating the process of reporting and ensuring that information is given to Government officers so that we deal with them. I am speaking with a lot of authority because I supplied maize last time to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB). I am among those farmers who have not been paid. I called the NCPB Director and the Cabinet Secretary (CS) and they told me this is the first time in our history, farmers have not been paid for maize worth Kshs7 billion. When you look at the audit and try to find out where exactly these farmers are coming from, you will be shocked to learn that we do not have maize worth Kshs7 billion from farmers in the Republic of Kenya. 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."
}