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"id": 981778,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/981778/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
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"id": 13131,
"legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, so far, we are safe. Fortunately or unfortunately, Nairobi is a concrete jungle, and so, even if they come they will have little to do. I want to thank Sen. Wambua for bringing this Statement. Clearly this Statement is very close to him and also his political party. During the funeral of the late former President, Moi, his party leader spoke passionately about locusts. Therefore, clearly, this is a party statement. We are grateful to Wiper for doing this. This is a serious issue. One of the problems that we are facing today as a country is that everybody has become an expert on locusts. Because of that and the media sensationalizing this issue, very important statements that are being made by the Cabinet Secretaries, including the former Cabinet Secretary, hon. Kiunjuri, are being trivialized. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you look at some papers written, including one by Dr. Kasina, the Chairman of the Entomological Society of Kenya and what the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) say--- When hon. Kiunjuri said that this is coming as a result of lack of stability in our neighbouring countries, the media was quick to report that he was blaming Al Qaeda, and we all laughed. He was actually correct because Kenya is not a breeding ground. These countries have focal points for dealing with locusts and because of insecurities that have been there, they have not been able to focus on the role they play for the rest of this region. Dr. Kasina says that they came through Somalia, Ethiopia, Mandera, Elwak up to here. Hon. Kiunjuri had a point but because of how we like to sensationalise media, we said that he was going nuts. Secondly, when he said let us have photos - I do not know if they had a portal to receive those kinds of photos - it is true because they come from a similar family as grasshoppers, but grasshoppers do not have the same destructive ability. Therefore, it would be good to reduce the kind of panic that would be there for people who think that grasshoppers are locusts. Now, Hon. Munya talks about the age of the locusts. Looking at the writings by Dr. Kasina and others, they have incomplete metamorphosis such that from the time they were coming in, they were adults, but immature, and they take a certain period of time. I am just referring to the writings that are available to all of us. Leave alone the gestation period, their maturing period and the fact that they fly 100 kilometres in a day. Therefore, when he says that they look old and are on trees, but we are now spraying for the eggs, he has a point. However, he does not know how to express it because he is not a scientist. I think what we need to do is to invite him because he is being advised by Dr. Kasina, ICIPE and the Centre for Entomology. He is not coming up with this from his mind and, therefore, it is important for the Committee on Agriculture to have that live session, so that the scientists can speak. Sometimes when we try to simplify these concepts to wananchi, we all look very stupid. 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."
}