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{
    "id": 942420,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/942420/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 248,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitui East, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Nimrod Mbai",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13386,
        "legal_name": "Nimrod Mbithuka Mbai",
        "slug": "nimrod-mbithuka-mbai"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. At least, I am at the boundary of the two sides. Let me take the first opportunity to wish the best of luck to candidates in Kitui East in both primary and secondary schools who are sitting for the exams. It is time to prove that no human being is limited. Go for the best. Coming back to the Motion at hand, it is time to look at the agriculture sector critically and make critical decisions and policies within it for several reasons. The agriculture sector is where we have great employment potential. If any young man or young lady in the village or urban centres decided to get employed within the agriculture sector, they would just wake up tomorrow morning and start working and within two or three weeks, they would be earning. That young lady who wants to venture into agriculture needs to be supported. It is through such initiatives like this Motion where the entrepreneurs in agribusiness can be supported. One of the things I am looking at is that we are in a capitalist economy where production is competitive, but farmers can come together during marketing. Each farmer can produce at their own level but when it comes to marketing because of the challenges of cartels and competition with other international markets, it is good for farmers to come together through such initiatives as suggested by this Motion. Also looking at political economics, the farmers of Kenya are competing at the market level with products from farmers in other countries whose governments have supported them through subsidies and also lower cost of production requirements. For example, the cost of electricity in our country affects each and every farmer in poultry and feed production. The cost of electricity, fuel, diesel and paraffin in Kenya is too high compared to the cost of the same energy in South Africa. That informs why an egg will come into Kenya from South Africa and be cheaper than an egg produced in Kiambu. This is very dangerous. I would propose that the Mover graduates this Motion to a Bill because we have to give it a serious discussion and make critical decisions. The person in charge of agriculture sector should be directly responsible to the farmers. I am not in agreement that we have security, citizen services and the Registrar of Persons and Correctional Services under the presidency, but the sector that is feeding our population, the sector that is creating the largest opportunity for jobs is being run by a separate Ministry. I would propose that the President, the person who was directly elected by the people, takes charge of the Ministry of Agriculture. There is an example which was set by former President for Malawi, Hon. Bingu wa Mutharika. Before Mutharika came to power, Malawi was worse than Ukambani. But within two years of Mutharika’s leadership, Malawi was giving food relief to countries in Africa. I would suggest, as we formulate those policies, that…"
}