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{
    "id": 821362,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/821362/?format=api",
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    "content": "When you go Kitale, Eldoret or Bungoma, maize is flowing in from neighbouring countries. When you go to the Coast region or to the Loitokitok area, maize is flowing in from the neighbouring countries. This kind of convoluted corrupt practice must be brought to an end. Madam Temporary Speaker, as a Committee, we are going to carry the heavy expectations of our colleagues in this House and the people we represent. This is because out there, people want to see results and solutions. We must come up with recommendations – including but not limited to a possible legislation – to streamline subsidy management, the workings of the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and the Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC), which are public entities enjoying public funds. The AFC was meant to give money to farmers for farming, yet we know that briefcase traders go there and take loans to hawk maize around! They are the ones bringing maize from our neighbours; they are the ones pretending to be delivering maize grown on 800 acres in my county, which does not exist! Madam Temporary Speaker, I hope that, as a Committee, we are going to breathe new life in the farmer. I stopped in your County of Eldoret and talked to an old man called Mr. Siele, who is a farmer in Cheplaskei. I sat with him to have a cup of tea in Eldoret and I saw tears welling in his eyes. He asked me: “What can I do? I have been a farmer all my life; I borrowed money I cannot pay and I am now being foreclosed. It is not because I am lazy, reckless or that I mis-spent the money. I have sunk the money in the soil, I have produced food and delivered it for Kenyans yet nobody is paying me.” That is the story of the Kenyan farmer. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want us to take this very seriously because if we can streamline the maize and the sugar sector--- As Sen. Orengo says, the tea and the dairy sectors are relatively stable, but they also need to be streamlined. This country is wealthy and can improve the lives of its people, if we really care. Finally, Madam Temporary Speaker, whenever there is a subsidy, is it an issue of the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury just issuing gazette notices for every Tom, Dick and Harry to bring maize? In fact, I am told that whenever those gazette notices are issued, maize ships are already docked in Mombasa; they all mange this very well. If there is a shortage of maize, the institution that should be concerned about it is the NCPB, because they are the ones who manage our strategic grain reserves. They are, therefore, the ones who should tell the Government that our strategic grain reserves have gone low. The national Treasury should give us money to import maize. Should they make any profit; and they should not, because they should be given a duty-free status because it is going to feed the people of this country. We must also look at this issue. Madam Temporary Speaker, I congratulate all the Members for the positive comments they have made and the full support they have given to the Motion. I assure the House, on your behalf and on my behalf, as the sponsors of the Motion, that we shall live to the billing we have come to seek in the House. I beg to Move."
}