Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 799777,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/799777/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 136,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "It will be a tragedy to use this debate to try to look for who were the “sheep” and who were the “goats” because there is a crisis. Sen. (Prof.) Kamar would not be talking to us the way she has if it was not a crisis of general concern in that area and the country at large. I want to tell the Senate Majority Leader that if there is no maize in Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu, Siaya suffers and it forces us to go to Uganda sometimes to do black market trade. I think our sense of pride is kind of demolished if we depend on our neighbour to meet our food demands. Cartel or no cartel, there is a crisis in which the Government is a major player. Sen. (Prof.) Kamar and the Senate Majority Leader have proposed a long-term solution but I think for now something needs to be done in order to address problems particularly affecting farmers who have delivered maize but they have not been paid. Talking about a change of structure or a new policy will not help the current crisis. The problem of farmers in that area has a history. During the Independence Government, a Minister had to go home because of a similar scandal. Cartel or no cartel, it brought shame and a bad name to Government. We cannot continue to have a situation where farmers in that region are not being paid yet at the same time about Kshs9 billion was paid to people who did not deliver goods or services. In fact, the money that we give to the National Youth Service (NYS) should be stopped immediately and instead taken to farmers in that area. It will do a better service to the nation. In the old days, if you wanted tea and coffee you went to Limuru and Kericho and if you wanted sugarcane you went to Kakamega and Kisumu. There was some kind of harmony and synergy even during the colonial days. I want to challenge the Government using this Senate Chamber to resolve the problem of paying farmers not nationally but only in three key counties because sometimes they make payments which are not justified. They should pay farmers to make sure that we can feed ourselves. I should be able to wake up in the morning, go to a shop and buy a bag of maize. When maize was not there, some people were talking about the Unga Revolution. It is an important issue that the Government should address immediately. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}