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{
    "id": 907729,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/907729/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 48,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, first of all, the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has assured the House that this matter will be done in two weeks. This is a little too ambitious. This Message requires the Senate to legislate. However, that is not the point I want to make. First, I congratulate Nandi County Assembly because since the second Senate of the Republic of Kenya started, this is the first time an Assembly has passed a resolution and sent a Message to the Senate to ask for legislation. More importantly, I advise the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries that, in fact, I believe that this Message, as important as it is, is misguided. This is because agriculture is fully devolved. Assemblies have legislative powers and authority under the Constitution to pass legislation to levy local taxes on agriculture. I believe that Nandi County Assembly, properly guided by their Senator, who is a lawyer, would come up with a legislation that covers the management of agriculture in their county and be able to levy taxes on the multi-nationals and other tea farmers if they wish. The danger of this request is that, very soon, you will have a flurry of very spurious and unnecessary requests and Messages where people will now want to levy taxes through this House on cattle, sheep, fish, coffee, maize and so on. I would have expected a distinguished lawyer that is on the Chair today to have given that direction because I know that you share these sentiments. If you read the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution carefully, this House does not need a request to pass the legislation that we are being asked to. 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."
}