Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 945831,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/945831/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 156,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Makueni, WDM-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Daniel Maanzo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2197,
        "legal_name": "Daniel Kitonga Maanzo",
        "slug": "daniel-kitonga-maanzo"
    },
    "content": "officers, and whether our meat is safe or not. There are many diseases associated with animals. We have been losing on that end and there is need to find a cure even if we have a board that can market our meat all over the world. This board cannot work in isolation of other legal bodies like the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) that already exist and perform the same functions. Another problem is that we are also not selling locally. There are agreements where the Kenya Prisons Services and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) utilise our meat, but they have not been doing so and that is why farmers are not being paid for long. They are instead doing business with private slaughterhouses. We can pass this law but the board will be as useless as what KMC has been if we do not address key issues. We must amend this law to be strong enough to give us markets for our animals so that we can sell to the European Union and compete with Botswana and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Middle East prefers the Somalia beef market than our market because it is more organised. One of the issues that we should deal with in this sector is corruption. Secondly, we have devolution and this law recognises the role of the Council of Governors (CoG), but we should go further because agriculture is now a devolved function. This is to ensure that the marketing strategy in all counties is tightened up. This board should link with all the counties to have a marketing system and strategy. The proposed board cannot work in isolation without the Kenya Meat Commission – which is performing the same function that it seeks to do. The Commission is like a board in another interpretation. There are many Members here who represent beef farmers all over the country and I know there is a public outcry from Kenyans, but we must offer a solution. We should not just emotionally pass a law which is hollow. This law, as it is now, will not help this country. The proposed board will be a duplication of the KMC and other established boards and it will not serve the purpose. We have the Coffee Board of Kenya (CBK) and those who have served in the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock know that there are very many reforms being made to the CBK because it has failed to deliver coffee as a product in this country. Coffee from Kenya is used to blend other types of coffees in the world. It is very useful and has a lot of money. It is black gold but we have never benefited from it as a country. We do not want to fall in the same trap as the other products which have been there so as to please Members like Hon. Kolosh and others from that region, who I support by simply passing this law. I do not want to hurt their feelings but we must be serious with this law and make it effective, sound, address issues, and have proper networks and other Acts of Parliament dealing with it. We are not only dealing with meat products because there are many products from animals such as leather, hooves and horns which are used to make glue. We have a similar board dealing with that. Bones are used to make fertilisers. We need to have a whole system on this particular industry so that our standards can meet the international requirements. We also need to look at health issues involving the quality of our meat. Is our meat safe for consumption? In the modern times, people are very keen on consumption of meat and because of the many diseases, doctors advise people to stop eating meat yet meat is a useful protein. If this market is properly managed, and meat is properly utilised and preserved, it can feed a nation. Why is KDF not buying our meat? Is it a question of corruption or disobedience of the law and Presidential orders? What justification can they give for not buying our own products? Why do they buy meat from other countries while we have a beef industry that is sustained by our own budget? They should buy our meat to enrich the country. I have looked at all the provisions of this Bill other than just establish a board to market our meat products. We have not tapped that since the proposed board will be financed by the 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."
}