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{
    "id": 874411,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/874411/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 374,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Rev.) Waqo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13178,
        "legal_name": "Naomi Jilo Waqo",
        "slug": "naomi-jilo-waqo"
    },
    "content": "It is time for Kenyans to wake up and say no to what is happening in our nation. Women are the most affected. In this particular case that I have mentioned, a woman is involved. However, I believe there are women of integrity who can stand for this nation and say no to what is happening. Madam Temporary Speaker, we can clearly see in the Report that the importation of duty free maize in 2017 was shrouded in mystery, as each Government agency which appeared before the Committee gave conflicting statements and figures. We have people who are not committed to the services that they give to the common mwananchi. I know that importation of different crops is necessary, but we need policies to guide our nation. As we import, we should not make our local products and farmers to suffer at the expense of the rich people – who have the potential to import different things into the country – and flood our markets with unhealthy products. Madam Temporary Speaker, as I went through the report, I realized that our farmers have gone through a lot of frustrations. We all know very well that farming is not easy, and that is why we do not have many young people who are looking at it as an area of interest. Climate change has affected the products and most of the time, the prolonged drought has affected farmers. To make the matters worse, we have seen in the report that poor quality seeds have been availed to the farmers. The people who have supplied these poor quality seeds do not care about the end product. This is because they have received their millions, stay in the city and eat what is good for them, but our poor farmers have been supplied with poor quality seeds. At the end of the day, it has affected their harvest negatively. When we have people who are not faithful in the offices – who are there just to exploit others –we are not progressing well as a nation. It is high time for us, as the Senate, to stand up and be the voice of the voiceless. Madam Temporary Speaker, we have seen inefficient fertilizers being supplied. We know very well that the produce, at the end of the day, depends on the fertilizer, yet you supply what cannot even help the farmers. I think we are asking God to curse our nation. As I said, corruption is evident in the Report. Once again, I read somewhere about corruption at the weigh bridges and the NCPB depots with regard to quality and quantity. During the 2017/2018 crop season, it was established by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) that suppliers and traders who were not farmers were facilitated by the NCPB officials to supply maize in large quantities using fake vetting forms. If those officers are still in office, why should we be even discussing this Report? Those officers need to be somewhere until they are cleared and we have taken the necessary action against them. Madam Temporary Speaker, as I said earlier, we have destroyed our nation and frustrated our own people, who are very creative and innovative. Today, a good number of farmers cannot pay school fees for their children; they cannot even buy shoes for themselves. Both the husband and the wife suffer in the farm, yet we have people who have used their names and enriched themselves. It is high time for us, as a nation, to say no to corruption and act. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}