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{
    "id": 86563,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/86563/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 385,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Kones",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 53,
        "legal_name": "Julius Kipyegon Kones",
        "slug": "julius-kones"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, KTDA has done its best, but has also faced some challenges. I have just been looking at the management of KTDA. I come from the western region, where we produce very nice tea. I am sure no one in this House can deny that tea from Kericho zone is a better quality. Go to any supermarket here and ask for tea. You will be told KETEPA or Kericho Gold. But look at the pricing which we get compared to what other factories get. I know they talk about issues of quality. I have looked at the top management of KTDA. They are about seven who the so called top management of KTDA. None come from Kericho County, Bomet County or Nandi County. Yet we produce about 40 per cent of the tea managed by the KTDA. What am I trying to say here? It is time we thought outside the box. We must rethink of how we enable our factories to be able to sell their tea at competitive prices. One of the ways is for factories to be able to source for their markets, if they are able to get those markets directly. What I understand is that there so many who call themselves brokers at the tea auction in Mombasa, whom I am aware of. Of course, they lobbied a lot to make sure that this Bill comes through. I have brought another Bill which has is stuck with the House Business Committee for whatever reasons in the same area. But that is not the subject of today. There are people who are making more profits from tea business stationed in Mombasa, calling themselves brokers and yet, the real people who own tea farms are the poorest in this country. If you do not believe me, look at the statistics. Let us get poverty indexes. My constituency is covered 65 per cent by tea. But you will be surprised that poverty index is 51 per cent. No much difference with Turkana or drier areas, which we imagine could be hardship areas. This is because of what I am trying to explain. It is not that tea does not give us good prices, but whatever money is generated from tea disappears along marketing chain. A Bill like this should have been able to address those issues, so that farmers at that level are able to sell at the shortest marketing chain and at better prices."
}