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{
    "id": 814949,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/814949/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 94,
    "type": "other",
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    "content": "They established the NIB under the community land which was trustee land and they agreed with the people of Ahero and West Kano that after a period of time, they would surrender the land after developing it. However, after many years of exploitation by the NIB, there was nothing good that came out of the establishment. As a result, more people became poor than before when that irrigation scheme was established. That is why I will stand firm to reject this Bill. The NIB has done no justice to rice farmers. The Government has been pumping a lot of money but you will realise that year in year out, the NIB does not even take greater concern to improve farming methodology. They do not have agronomists yet all the irrigation schemes like Ahero and Mwea are under the NIB which was meant to ensure food security. There was not even a single agronomist in the schemes and no research was done to improve the quality of rice to enable us to compete with cheap rice that comes from other countries. There was no any other method of land preparation. So, farmers were left to defend themselves yet people who were given the responsibility to protect farmers looted the money from the coffers each year. When I came to Parliament in 2008, I was happy that the Government would improve all our national irrigation schemes. They came up with a programme called Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) which was meant to stir and provide new infrastructures so that food security is realised. However, billions of money never lasted even for one year. After one year, it was reported that there was no single grain or improvement of any infrastructure of all irrigation schemes, water was still lacking in Ahero and West Kano irrigation schemes and there were no seeds provided or fertilisers yet Kshs2.6 billion was squandered but nobody has bothered to ask where the money went. When you look at Clause 4 of the Bill, it details the services that the irrigation scheme will do. This is the same thing and that is why I said this is just a transferable concept to come up with a new name but the mismanagement will be the same just like it has been under the NIB. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you go to my farm today in West Kano which is under the NIB, there is nothing going on. Land preparation cannot be done because the infrastructure was established in 1974 and up to date, the NIB has never revisited to levelize the farms so that during floods, the land can hold water for rice to be cultivated. The money which will be allocated each year will disappear at the national level. There are no post-harvesting methods they introduced for the farmers. What makes it worse is that some people will import rice from other countries. The NIB has failed to buy rice grown in this country. They can even provide our schools with free rice to feed our children. However, the cartels in Government who are proposing to rename NIB to an authority in this Bill will find it more provident to import rice from other countries. Unless this Bill is keenly scrutinised so that it support the farmers in Kenya, I will not support it. Lastly, agriculture is devolved. Therefore, there will be no need to establish an authority in Nairobi and yet the county governments can take care of all the services mentioned in this Bill. It is my prayer and trust that the Senate will not interfere with the 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."
}