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"id": 1399281,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399281/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Murango",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13585,
"legal_name": "Murango James Kamau",
"slug": "murango-james-kamau"
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"content": "Bw. Spika wa Muda, sukari imekuwa tamu kwa wenye wanaitumia lakini imekuwa chungu kwa wakulima. Wakati tumekuwa tukizunguka kama Kamati ya Ukulima, Uvuvi, Mifugo na Uchumi Samawati, katika maeneo yanayokuza sukari, tumejionea wakulima ambao wamenyanyaswa na kuteseka kwa muda kwa sababu ya sharia na usimamizi mbaya wa kampuni za sukari nchini. Mswada uliotufikia kupitia mdhamini Sen. Wafula, ulifanya tuzuru mashinani na kuongea na wakulima wenyewe kama ilivyo kawaida yetu. Tulienda katika maeneo ya Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega hadi Chemelil katika Kaunti ya Kisumu. Tulipokea nakala kutoka kwa wakulima wa miwa kutoka Kaunti ya Kwale pamoja na malalamishi yao. Nawashukuru Maseneta wote tuliyo shirikiana nao katika safari ile, akiwemo Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, Sen. Wafula, Sen. Okiya Omtatah, Sen. (Prof.) Tom Odhiambo Ojienda, SC, na pia wale wengine kama Sen. Sifuna aliyekuwa anafuatilia kwa kina na ukaribu Mswada huu wa kunufaisha wakulima wa miwa. Bw. Spika wa Muda, ukiona majonzi yaliyokuwa na wakulima hawa walipokuwa wanahudhuria vikao vya kamati ya Kilimo, Mifugo na Uvuvi ya Seneti, ili kujieleza, ungejua kuwa wakulima wa maeneo yale wametatitizika kwa muda. Wakulima kutoka kaunti za Nandi na Kericho walikuja Chemelil ili kuyawasilisha maoni yao hawajasahaulika kwa sababu ya shida zilizokuwepo. Sitakawia kueleza lakini niruhusu kusema haya. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1399282,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399282/?format=api",
"text_counter": 272,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Murango",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13585,
"legal_name": "Murango James Kamau",
"slug": "murango-james-kamau"
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"content": "Vyama vya ushirika vya kusaga miwa kama Nzoia Sugar hawajawalipa wafanyikazi mishahara yao ilhali miwa inavunwa na kupelekwa katika viwanda hivi. Hili ni jambo la kutia hofu. Tuliweza kuweka zoning kwa mipaka ili tuangalie mahali ambapo miwa inapelekwa na pia kwenye uchaguzi wa wanaosimamia ukulima wa miwa. Katika bodi ya Sukari, Seneti hii ilihakikisha kuwa wakulima wana waakilishi wengi zaidi ili malalamiko ya wakulima itatuliwe na kama kuna upigaji kura katika jambo linalotokea sauti ya mkulima itasikizwa. Bw. Spika wa Muda, baada ya miwa kusagwa na sukari kuuzwa, kuna matokeo ya pembejeni ambayo inabaki katika mitambo kama “sukari nguru” na vinginevyo ambavyo hutumika kutengeneza chakula cha ng’ombe na husaidia uchumi wa nchi hii. Wakulima walilalamika kuwa wanapouza mabaki haya, pesa zile haziwafaidi kamwe. Mswada huu unafaa kutatua mambo kama yale. Usafirishaji wa miwa kutoka eneo moja hadi lingine lazima udhibitishwe. Mswada huu unaelekeza kuwa tutauwa vyama hivi vya ushirika na wale wanaopeana pembejeo kwa wakulima. Mkasa uliopata kiwanda cha Nzoia Sugar ulisema kuwa kuna wakulima waliopewa pembejeo, wakalimiwa shamba lakini baadaye wakachukua miwa na kuuzia wasiohusika kamwe katika upanzi wa miwa ile. Nzoia Sugar ilipata deni ya milioni Kshs900, ikasambaratika na wakulima wakaumia. Mgala muuwe na haki yake mpe. Kama tutakuwa na nchi nzuri ambayo ina maendeleo katika kila kona, lazima tuhakikishe kuwa magatuzi yote 47, yatapata nafasi ya mimea ambayo itawapa pesa. Ndio maana Kamati hii imejitahidi sana na kuleta Miswaada ya Pamba, Ndengu na Kahawa ambayo ilipitishwa na Maseneta. Naomba kwamba, mwisho wa wiki hii tutaupitisha Mswada huu wa sukari, ili tuwasaidie wakaazi na wazaliwa wa nchi hii. Asante."
},
{
"id": 1399283,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399283/?format=api",
"text_counter": 273,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wakili Sigei",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Sen. (Dr.) Murango. Proceed Sen. Sifuna."
},
{
"id": 1399284,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399284/?format=api",
"text_counter": 274,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13599,
"legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
"slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am a contracted farmer with Nzoia Sugar in my other life. This is something many people might not know. I am not rich, but my grandfather, the late Mr. Joel Mabele Sifuna had a farm in Kitinda Village of Bungoma County. The Mover of this Motion is my Senator at home. When he died, in his will, he instructed that the grandchildren would till that land. I have a four- acre section where I grow cane and was contracted by Nzoia Sugar, where I delivered my cane for some years before the factory collapsed. It became untenable for me to continue with that business. I thank the sponsor of this Bill in the National Assembly, Hon. Wangwe, with whom we share many things. Other than him being a sugarcane farmer like me, we are also travelers and users of that infamous C41 road, which has taken forever to complete construction despite assurances by successive governments that contractors are working on it. That is the road that leads to my rural home. One of these fine days, I might invite you and Members of this House to meet my mother, and you will use that road. I want to start by saying that there are many positives I can see are a direct response to the challenges that farmers have faced over the years. First, it has been the complaint of the Minority in this House that successive Bills that have been brought to The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1399285,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399285/?format=api",
"text_counter": 275,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13599,
"legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
"slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
},
"content": "this House have tried to usurp the powers and roles of county governments. From the beginning of the provisions of this Bill, there is clear recognition of the role of county governments, which starts in Clause 4 on the constitution of the sugar board. In Clause 5 of the Bill, there are functions of the county government that are clearly outlined, including extension services, which we used to have when we were growing up, but somehow, somewhere, they disappeared. These extension services were important in providing farmers with critical support for crop growth. They are responsible for building the road network to supply and deliver cane. This was critical. In Bungoma County, the roads that were assigned as county roads or were being used to deliver cane were well maintained. Those of us like myself and Hon. Wangwe, the Member of Parliament for Navakholo, are unfortunate that our homes are on a road that has been handed over to a contractor who is not there. The road is so terrible that I have to find panya routes through the villages. Roads maintained by the county governments and used to deliver cane are smoother than C41. I am happy that the role of county government is recognized. Clause 6 provides for nominees of county governments in this sugar board. Allow me to address this question of zoning or protection against poaching that has been provided for under Clause 19. During the task force discussions, this was a difficult debate between farmers, millers, Members of the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, and the sponsors of the Bill. The Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries has said one thing that I have also experienced. We had the spectra of farmers getting inputs from specific mills. You would get fertiliser and seed cane from Nzoia Sugar. However, when the crop is ready, there are delays, and you have financial pressure to take your children to school, whoever comes with money, which is now called, poaching, would pay the farmer and go away. As a result, there were not only debts that failed you from the miller, but also the out-grower companies. This is because the fertiliser used to be distributed through the out-grower companies, for instance, the Nzoia Out-Grower Company, of which I am a member. The problem has been after the Government forgave the debts of the millers, it forgot that similar circumstances exist for out-grower companies. In this instance, I have been directed by the out-grower companies to request the Government that, just the way they forgave or waived the debts owed to the millers, we also consider waving the debts that are still on the books of the out-grower companies that arose out of similar circumstances of farmers being contracted by one miller and then selling that crop to another person. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have seen that the Bill has introduced a fine of not less than Kshs1million or three times the value of the cane, whichever is higher if you are found as a miller poaching cane. Therefore, while others might look at it as a zoning issue, we are also trying to deal with this question of poaching of cane. We have millers who do not develop any of their nuclear assets. They do not spend any time recruiting farmers to cultivate this crop, but they poach other people’s cane. Additionally, I have been informed of a spectre. When you see a sugar mill existing in an area where there is no sugar cane being grown, it always raises a red flag. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1399286,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399286/?format=api",
"text_counter": 276,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13599,
"legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
"slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, under Section 23 of the Bill, there is provision for anybody who wants to import sugarcane to import only what is called a deficit, an established deficit of the supply of sugar locally. Therefore, one of biggest complaints of farmers has been that we are being forced to compete with those people who import sugar when we have sufficient sugar on the ground. Therefore, it will be the responsibility of the Board to establish that before an import license or import permit is given, there is actually that deficit. I am also happy with the provision on sugar inspectors under Section 34 and 35, who have the powers to enter any premises. In the past few years, we have seen smuggling of sugar into the country, and importation of sugar that is either a substandard or unfit for human consumption, or even criminals importing sugar which is laced with very hazardous chemicals. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, these sugar inspectors will have that power to enter any premises and seize any product for as long as there are reasonable grounds to suspect that there is something wrong with that sugar. Likewise, I am very happy that the proponents of this Bill have in the Bill provided for sugar agreements. These are agreements between growers and millers or agreements between growers and outgrower institutions or millers and outgrowers. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if you read the Bill and the provisions on what those sugarcane agreements should contain, they provide clarity between the farmer and the miller on how that relationship will be governed. It is something that I would support very much. There is also the introduction of the sugar pricing committees, which also have representatives of growers, and two representatives of the counties under Section 58. The responsibility of this Pricing Committee is to come up with pricing formulas and when they are doing that job, they have to consider various factors, including, cane related charges paid by the farmer. You will also see that they have provided for a formula that considers delayed harvesting. Since one of the issues we have in the sugar growing areas is that you will be told this sugar can mature in 18 months and we have farmers who have stayed with their crop for over two years waiting for harvesting. The losses that they incur in that instance should be compensated. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, allow me to say that I would be proposing only a few amendments about a few things that are of concern to me. I have the benefit of not only being a sugarcane farmer in Bungoma, but I also represent a county where the biggest source of revenue and jobs for our people, are industries. I have had a conversation with both sponsors of this Bill in the National Assembly and even in the Senate, about the concerns that have been raised by industry with regard to the introduction of the sugar development levy on industrial white sugar. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if you look at the definition of industrial -white sugar under Section 2, it is sugar that is used as a sweetener or a preservative. This industrial white-sugar is used in many consumer products. The biggest of course, is the beverage industry. It is use in soft drinks, your sodas, juices, jams, jellies, and in baked The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1399287,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399287/?format=api",
"text_counter": 277,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13599,
"legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
"slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
},
"content": "goods, pharmaceuticals and even in cosmetics. Those of you who use moisturisers, it would be nice for you to know this."
},
{
"id": 1399288,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399288/?format=api",
"text_counter": 278,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Sen. Crystal Asige spoke off the record)"
},
{
"id": 1399289,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399289/?format=api",
"text_counter": 279,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13599,
"legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
"slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I do not use moisturisers. Protect me from Sen. Crystal Asige. I am a Bukusu man and our skin takes care of itself. They use industrial sugar in the manufacture of dairy products such as yoghurt. The problem is that if you put that levy on industrial sugar, we are going to see an increase in these consumer prices. I forgot to mention that it is also used in the manufacture of beer. We need to look very closely at that because in this country, we do not have the capacity to manufacture this industrial sugar. The manufacturers are telling us for as long as we do not have that capacity to manufacture white industrial sugar, imposing that levy at four per cent, similar to the regular sugar, is going to inconvenience many of these manufacturers because of the constraints of supply. If we do not have the capacity to produce, then we should not be levying that four per cent sugar development levy until we have the capacity to produce locally. When I spoke to Hon. Wangwe, he told me one of the key concerns was that people want to import sugar under the guise of it being white industrial sugar, and it has happened before. Then, sooner or later, you find it in in the markets being used for purposes other than as a sweetener or as a preservative. I have tried to persuade him that it is possible for us to deal with the few bad eggs and not necessarily castigate the entire manufacturing industry. I will give you the example of beer because this is something I understand very well. It is a record in this House, that in Nairobi they call me the Minister of Celebrations. If this levy is passed, we are looking at an average increase of between Kshs6 and 15 on the average retail price of a bottle of beer. This is very critical coming at a time when the Government is involved with a very serious war of consumption of illicit alcohol. During a recent seminar that was organised by the Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya, it was revealed that 59 per cent of Kenyans consume illicit alcohol. I am telling you the truth. I have that report. I do not know why Sen. Cherarkey is expressing shock. Out of the Kshs180 recommended retail price of a bottle of, say, Tusker Lite, Kshs110 goes to taxes. If you increase that further by Kshs6 or 15, it pushes it out of the reach of many Kenyans. This is something that is going to affect our war on illicit alcohol. It is also projected that if we are to impose that four per cent development levy on imported industrial sugar, a 300-millilitre mug of the cheapest beer, which is named after this House, Senator Keg Lager, is going to increase by at least Kshs2. This is also going to impact the war on illicit alcohol. This House should consider that there is a value supply chain in the manufacture of some of these products that I am talking about. For instance, there are farmers who have been contracted recently to supply raw materials for the manufacture of beer. There The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1399290,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399290/?format=api",
"text_counter": 280,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13599,
"legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
"slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
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"content": "is a lot of employment that is created in the agricultural sector. In places such as Homa Bay, I have seen many contracted farmers growing sorghum. There is also the spectre of employment being lost in the manufacturing itself, including at East African Breweries Limited (EABL). Last year, for the first time in many years, a company as big as EABL declared some redundancies and some job losses, which is something that we are staring at. For as long as they are not making the sort of sales that they used to, we are going to have a problem. Then there is work that is in the distribution network and the service industry. Many suffered during the time when pubs were closed in Nairobi during Covid-19 pandemic. We speak to those people. They are a good source of employment. Looking at the provisions of the Bill at Section 23, we spoke about this need for import permits at Section 23 of the Bill, we think those of us in Nairobi that the Government should be able to control the importation of industrial white sugar, because at the end of the day, you need an import permit for you to be able to import this sugar. I want to read Section 23, subsection 3-"
}
]
}