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{
"id": 99428,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/99428/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Ethuro",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 158,
"legal_name": "Ekwee David Ethuro",
"slug": "ekwee-ethuro"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you look at the contribution of the sub- sector to the entire agricultural sector, you will actually realize that the contribution is greater but the resources going into the sub-sector are minimal. I had an opportunity as a young researcher to look into two commodities in the Republic from colonial times to the present, which were beef and maize. During the colonial times there were quite a number of research centers that were meant for beef. What did the black man do when he attained independence? He converted all of those beef research centres into crop research centres. The only time when he could entertain livestock would be to do with dairy to the extent that 90 per cent of the budget for livestock in the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) is for dairy and 10 per cent for beef. We have a centre in Marsabit which has got the national and regional research centre for this country that is supposed to be looking into the issue of livestock and arid lands for this country but it is completely under- funded. Do you expect that kind of sub-sector to perform? In this country, we have the Coffee Research Foundation, the Tea Research Foundation, the Sugar Research Station and other organizations to take care of each and every commodity, but here even as a sector, you would have wished that there will be a research centre for dairy goats, camels, cows and donkeys, but we do not have similar arrangements in this sector. This country needs to come to terms with itself and know that these quarantines that we keep putting in place, dealing with CBPP and Foot and Mouth diseases and ensuring that we do not transport our animals at night and putting policemen there whose job--- The Minister confirmed today that the job of a police roadblock is to extort money. These roadblocks have also affected the livestock subsector that we are trying to improve. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let us address ourselves to this Bill and pass it like yesterday. By so doing, we will have created an Animal Technicians Council that will be able to regulate the animal healthcare through proper training, registration and licensing of private practitioners of trained animal technicians in this country. This is the way to go as this country tries to realize Vision 2030. The Government needs to appreciate Parliament, especially the Back Bench. The few surviving Ministers this afternoon need to go and tell their colleagues instead of complaining that everytime, the Government seems to act faster than the Cabinet. We are not going to wait for people who are lazy and do not seem to understand the needs of this country. We are going to move and make progress. It is up to you to play catch-up very hard, because you cannot catch us. The Tenth Parliament is going to demonstrate to this nation that Parliament can actually provide leadership where the Executive has failed. This is because this country is bleeding and getting poorer. This county has suffered inequities and inequalities. That is why we had post-election violence. Only yesterday afternoon, we demonstrated when we brought an amendment to the Finance Act about distributing resources to the roads equally and not equitably. In an area like the greater Kericho with three constituencies, that is, Sotik, Bomet and Bureti, the degree of correlation between the amounts and seniority to Government is equal to one. That is simple regulation analysis. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I speak now, three years down the road, there is no functioning board at the Kenya Veterinary Vaccine Production Institute (KEVEVAPI) which is a research centre. Our goats and sheep require a vaccine known as CBPP. It is not available because it cannot be produced in good quantities. We have to go and look for it in Ethiopia. What a shame! Just to constitute a board and appoint a chairman to KEVEVAPI has taken two-and-a-half years. These are facts that I am sure that this House may not be aware of. We are in the sector and we know. I wish the Minister for Tourism was in charge of livestock, because maybe he could have done better. At least, we have seen good progress in terms of tourism, which is also good for our country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we need to invest in the capacity of our people. This Bill is not only for this Republic. In fact, if we train enough personnel in these areas, I can assure you that the Republic of Kenya is going to sell talented trained personnel. Only last month, Members of the Pastoralists Group visited Namibia where we have ranches. They need this technology. What has happened to our ranches in this country? What happened to the grazing blocs in North Eastern Province? It is because of lack of deliberate Government policy and interventions to ensure that these areas are put into production and that the animal is actually healthy and productive, so that it can fetch some very attractive prices. We even have live markets in the Middle East. They are ready to receive our animals. Last December, we went to Somaliland and found that Hargeisa is willing and ready to receive our livestock. That market was open and we need to exploit it. But you cannot exploit these opportunities when you do not have your animals being certified by trained professionals who know their job. I am quoting cases that I should not. They are Somaliland, Namibia, which got independence in 1990 and Ethiopia. We are supposed to be the leaders in Africa, but we seem to have forgotten our position. Even now as we celebrate the East African Community (EAC) Common Market from tonight, I am not sure whether we are going to provide that leadership when the region is looking up to us. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I really wish to second the Bill."
}