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{
"id": 922278,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/922278/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
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"speaker": {
"id": 210,
"legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
"slug": "moses-wetangula"
},
"content": "good. If you look at the crop in the fields, you can tell that we will have a bumper harvest. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, assuming that you want to start importing maize today given our procurement processes and procedures, it means that whatever grain you import will land in the port of Mombasa in a minimum of the next two months, by which time, the heaviest grain growing areas of Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, West Pokot, Bungoma and others will be harvesting. Instead of importing maize, why can we not support the farmer? The President has rolled out his Big Four Agenda and one of them is food security. How will this country achieve food security if the farmer who toils and moils morning to evening to feed Kenyans is the most neglected person in the country? Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, every time a Kenyan grain farmer has a bumper harvest, it is a nightmare in their lives. The crop drops sometimes up to Kshs1,000 per bag. The Government wants to engage in a luxury of importing maize at Kshs4,500 to Kshs5,000 a bag. Therefore, it will support farmers of other countries and ignore our farmers. This House, as the defender of counties and their governments, that represents issues of devolution and agriculture which is a 100 per cent devolved, must resoundingly speak up against the intended importation of maize. If you look at this year’s Budget, there is no allocation to cereals boards for purpose of buying crops from the farmers. How is this country moving? We have committed ourselves through the Maputo Declaration to support the farmer through our budgets of not less than 10 per cent. In fact, if you cut across the counties, the amount of money put in agriculture is less than 2 per cent of the national Budget aggregate. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, yesterday, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) changed tune and said that he will not import maize from Mexico. We are not opposing the importation of maize from Mexico only. We are opposing the importation of maize from anywhere on the globe as long as the maize of Kenyan farmer is still in the ghalas, cereals boards and farms. Importing cereals to cover the deficit is not wrong. However, how do you recklessly embark on importation without any scientific analysis on what we have and what is the deficit? The CS has not told Kenyans why he wants to import maize or why the idea of importing maize came to his head at all. This House must stand up to be counted. The Chairperson of the Committee must, without any concession from this House, summon the CS to the Committee of the Whole so that Members of this House, whether they represent maize farmers or maize eaters where they do not grow maize can engage with him. My brother, Sen. Wario, is from Tana River County where maize is not grown. However, Galana Kulalu scandal is in his county. He represents people who eat maize. My brother Sen. Mwaura is from Kiambu where they do not grow maize but they eat it. So, everybody has an interest in this matter."
}