{"id":822301,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/822301/?format=json","text_counter":213,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Suba South, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. John Mbadi","speaker":{"id":110,"legal_name":"John Mbadi Ng'ong'o","slug":"john-mbadi"},"content":"I am contributing to the main Report. Again, I am agonising because chances are that we may throw the baby with the bath water. This is because the Committee was given a responsibility. With all due respect to my friend, Hon. Kanini Kega, who chaired the Committee and I know his capability very well, I am shocked the Report, important as it is, has a lot of gaps. That is my main concern. Why was it necessary for the Joint Committee to carry out this investigation? It was because on 13th June 2018, the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, Dr. Fred Matiang’i, made a public pronouncement while at the Directorate of Criminal Investigation alleging that sugar in the country was laced with mercury, which triggered a national debate leading to a public outcry. I remember when Hon. Lesuuda brought the matter to the House, we were very passionate and asked whether the sugar that we take in the country has mercury or not. The effect of that Statement, and what we expected this Committee to help this country to sort out, is what could bring even the economy of the country down because we use sugar even to make soda which is sold even in the neighboring country. If you are saying that our sugar has mercury or is poisonous, you are in effect telling even those who are importing processed goods made of sugar from this country that they should be careful. In fact, this could result to some travel warning to this country by other countries. If you are going to a country which is not sure of the food that they take, it is a very dangerous thing. I, therefore, expected that an explanation is offered to the people of Kenya whether the sugar we consume has mercury or not. But that answer is not properly given. I know it has been glossed over that there was sugar found in Eastleigh and there was another one found in Bungoma that has some traces of mercury. Is it significant enough to say that this country has sugar laced with mercury? Those Members who come from sugar-growing areas are the ones who should be very worried with this Report. In fact, I wonder whether they are fighting for those sugarcane farmers they claim they are fighting for. When you dare say that sugar in this country could be having mercury, no one will know which sugar is manufactured in SONY or which one is imported. Therefore, you are killing the very industry you think you are supporting. Let us be sober enough. I am looking at the observation by the Committee. It is clear to me that this Committee failed substantially to name the sugar importers who have imported contraband sugar. We The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."}