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{
    "id": 977096,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/977096/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 224,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Navakholo, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Emmanuel Wangwe",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2543,
        "legal_name": "Emmanuel Wangwe",
        "slug": "emmanuel-wangwe"
    },
    "content": "(vii) The CRI had 17 scientists against an establishment of 30. Hon. Deputy Speaker, this is a research foundation and the lack of a scientist who is a lead investigator is a big issue. The establishment requires 30 scientists, but the CRI has only 17. The total workforce at the CRI was 223 employees and two-thirds of this workforce is about the age of 55. As at the time of the visit, this was an aging workforce. (viii) The Auditor-General regularly conducts financial audits of KALRO. However, the scientific audit on technologies and processes within the research institutes had never been concluded. Since inception, there has never been a scientific audit of the processes and technologies that are applicable to the institute. (ix) The CRI produces 100,000 seedlings of the “Ruiru II” variety per year, whereas the demand for the variety in the country is 1.5 million seedlings per year resulting in a big gap between what is produced and what CRI can supply to the market. (x) The National Taskforce on Coffee Sub-sector Reform reviewed the entire coffee value chain and identified areas requiring interventions and made recommendations to address the challenges in CRI. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, this is a full taskforce appointed by the President and it has a full report, which is annexed to our Report, so that Members can have a look at the outcomes of that report and the recommendations. (xi) Since 2014, the number of staff in KARLO had been diminishing owing to varied reasons, which ranges from retirement, death, resignation, among others. (xii) From KALRO's age analysis, most research staff are evenly spread in brackets of 51 to 55 and 61 to 65 years of age categories, accounting for approximately 74 per cent of existing research scientists close to retirement. (xiii) Although Kenya has strong policies in research and has established required institutions, financing and research capacity management remains a major handicap at all levels. Hon. Speaker, therefore, the Committee made the following recommendations: (i) The National Treasury allocates funds for implementation of recommendations by the National Taskforce on Coffee Sub-sector Reforms on funding CRI to expand production of coffee seeds and planting material, and cooperatives to establish and distribute coffee planting mainly for the new varieties, Ruiru II and Batian . (ii) Creation of a financial kitty to support research to be nested in CRI, and provision of financial and technical support amounting to what the Ministry itself required, Ksh350 million to the State Department of Cooperatives, Coffee Research Institute, Nairobi Coffee Exchange, and Coffee Directorate. This is a figure that was given to us through the Ministry of Agriculture when they appeared before the Committee. (iii) The National Treasury introduces a coffee research levy at not more than 1 per cent. The earlier coffee research levy was at 2 per cent. The Committee feels that it is important because of what it used to fund, we give the CRI a percentage of about 1 percent of the gross coffee proceeds to support coffee research and extension services. (iv) Financing of agricultural research should be given priority by the Government and other reliable sources of financing for research on coffee should be identified and implemented. (v) KALRO, which is the housing organisation, conducts a scientific audit on efficiency, effectiveness and economy on technologies and processes within the research institutes. This is very important because without undertaking this audit, our CRI lagging behind cannot measure to the international research organisations which they are competing with. 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."
}