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{
    "id": 948657,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/948657/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 239,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kang’ata",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1826,
        "legal_name": "Irungu Kang'ata",
        "slug": "irungu-kangata"
    },
    "content": "experts who lay this problem in a specialized manner, who can assist, for instance, by visiting other tea growing regions. Currently, the people who buy the bulk of our tea happen to come from Middle Eastern Region, Muslim majority countries like Pakistan, Sudan and Egypt. I strongly believe that it is time we diversified that market and see whether we can sell our tea in other Muslim majority regions like Indonesia and even in America and Europe. When you look at the domestic consumption of tea, it is something we can still work on to ensure that we have a good supply. Therefore, this recommendation of the formation of a Tea Directorate is going to alleviate this issue. There is an issue that we raised and which has also been captured in the Report when we were going round - I say that because we went to a place called Gatura in Murang’a County with this Sub-Committee - it is the issue concerning county governments getting cess money on behalf of the factories and failing to remit the money to the tea factories in Murang’a County. It is high time that the county was asked to release that money so that farmers can benefit from it. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, another issue that I need to highlight concerns the massive establishment of new tea factories which are owned by some rich and well- connected individuals, particularly in some regions in the North Rift. As a result of that, you find that they have been poaching tea instead of having their own nuclear areas. This is also causing some problems. In my own opinion, yes, we are now under the private free market regime; we must be ready for competition but on the other hand, we must protect tea so that it does not go the coffee way or like other horticultural products. Finally, let me highlight the issue concerning governance at the tea factories. We need to have a situation where the farmers’ views are being considered. I have seen some situations where a lot of money goes to fund operations and very little is set aside for bonus on the so-called monthly allocation to the farmers. We need our tea factories to enhance efficiency. This can only be achieved if my original proposal that I did in the National Assembly was to be passed. When I was a Member of Parliament for Kiharu Constituency, I had proposed the re-introduction of the guaranteed minimum returns (GMR), where the Government guarantees certain amounts of money irrespective of whether there are fluctuations of tea prices at the international level, the tea farmer can at least at the minimum get about Kshs100 per kilogramme. That way, we are going to ensure our farmers farm very well and put more effort into farming. We have made all those recommendations in this Report, and I am sure, now it will be the work of the Senate to compel the Executive to ensure that they implement them. We hope that once the report is adopted, tea farmers will not encounter any other problems. They will continue doing a good job and eke a living. It is very sad to have a situation where on average, a farmer is earning Kshs10, 000 or Kshs8, 000 per month, whereas the minimum wage in this country is around Kshs15, 000. It is time we saw our farmers go back to the era when they used to get about Kshs40, 000 per month. We want tea farmers to earn money and become rich. With those few remarks, I beg to support. 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."
}