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{
    "id": 945778,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/945778/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 103,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity. This is an important Bill. Its intent is to regulate livestock trade and livestock products trade. It talks of a variety of products ranging from meat carcasses, milk and milk products, skins, horns and hooves. In the current situation, all these products are scattered in various entities. For example, we have the New Kenya Co-operative Creameries (New KCC), which is operational though it is not doing well as it did before and the Kenya Dairy Board, which is an active entity that is operational. We have the KMC, which is not doing much although it is still in existence. Under the hides and skins dealers, we have the Kenya Leather Development Council (KLDC), which deals with tanneries and the National Livestock and Marketing Council. These are various organisations which deal with the same products. We have a lot of fragmentation. The end result is that there is no synergy. Therefore, the promotion of all these products cannot be effectively done. When you have many organisations dealing with these products, a lot of middle men are involved. It is known that in the agriculture sector, the middlemen seem to get better value in terms of prices while the farmers do not. It is, therefore, important that we have a Bill that seeks to harmonise and coordinate this sector. This Bill is attempting to do that. That is one of the reasons why I support it. The important thing in this Bill is the creation of a board, which is a body corporate. That means it can be taken to task. In its functions, it has attempted to harmonise and coordinate all these organisations. On its structure, it will have its headquarters in Nairobi and its branches in the counties. That is important. The actual production will take place in the counties. So, as much as we will have this board as a national entity under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation, it has to function properly with the county governments where production will take place. The Bill seeks to include structures that will integrate the board with the counties’ structures. I have looked at the membership of the proposed board and the Bill has made an effort to harmonise it. For example, the membership of the board will have a person nominated by the Council of Governors (COGs). That is the way it should be. This Bill, to a large extent, will serve producers at the county level. The board will have a person nominated by the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA). That is useful because as I said earlier, many organisations are involved in this. If they are not represented in the Bill, obviously, the board will not serve the people that it should serve. I also note that in the membership of the board, there is one person nominated by the Kenya Livestock Marketing Council. I think that is extremely important. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}