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{
"id": 1431841,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1431841/?format=api",
"text_counter": 215,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Soy, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. David Kiplagat",
"speaker": null,
"content": "culprits are the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the CMA and other State actors. That is why we felt that there was no value for money. Hence, the money that the CMA are asking for should be referred to the DCI for further investigations."
},
{
"id": 1431842,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1431842/?format=api",
"text_counter": 216,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Deputy Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Member for Kitui Central, the Hon. Makali Mulu."
},
{
"id": 1431843,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1431843/?format=api",
"text_counter": 217,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kitui Central, WDM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Makali Mulu",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I want to thank the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock and its Members for this Report, which has taken a lot of time before it was presented to this House. The matter of maize subsidy was a very serious one during the 12th Parliament. I remember one of the key issues that became a hot potato was the use of Article 223 of the Constitution to pay some of those bills. Even though the recommendations are very good, I am very disappointed with the timing. The maize subsidy program was designed to steal public funds. In such a situation, there is need to fast-track the recommendations so that action can be taken. Looking at this Report, a number of gaps have been identified. The first one is that according to the contracts signed, it was not clear what needed to be done. Looking at what the President had in mind in terms of this program, there was a lot of distortion. The implementers did not adhere to the policy issues. The issue of payments caught my eyes. Some millers were favoured as opposed to others. Why would one favour a particular miller in terms of payment in a public arrangement and fail to pay others? To me, those are the issues. Another important thing that has been brought out in this Report, which is criminal, is that the Committee is not sure whether the millers milled the flour. That means some millers might have been paid for flour that was never distributed or produced. Therefore, from the word ‘go’, there must have been people who planned that this program would be used to steal public funds. It is coming too late in the day, but I agree with the proposal that we need a special audit for that program. The Auditor-General should take up this matter and do a thorough audit of the program. On that basis, we should see some people being taken to court. The other recommendation relates to the Director of Criminal Investigations needing to do further investigation on a number of issues. We must learn our lessons from that program which did not have timelines; for example, how long it will be implemented. It was done for a month as we approached the elections which means that all said and done, people were looking for money to fund their campaigns. There is no law in this country which allows politicians to use public funds to finance their campaigns. This is against the law and action must be taken against all those who were involved."
},
{
"id": 1431844,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1431844/?format=api",
"text_counter": 218,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kitui Central, WDM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Makali Mulu",
"speaker": null,
"content": "The worst bit of it is that most of the large-scale millers were paid their money. However, the small-scale millers or those who were trying to get into the market were not paid. Why were the small-scale millers not paid and yet, the large-scale millers were paid? It is because the small- scale farmers were not able to give kickbacks in advance like the large-scale millers. Up to now, they have not been paid and the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock is pleading with the Budget and Appropriations Committee to factor in a budget for them. As a House, we must ensure that this time round, the money for the small-scale millers is in the Budget and, more so, in the Supplementary Budget so that they can get their money and continue with their lives to enable them to do their businesses. I support and insist that we fast-track this Report in terms of recommendations."
},
{
"id": 1431845,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1431845/?format=api",
"text_counter": 219,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Deputy Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you. Hon. Member for Kwanza, Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi."
},
{
"id": 1431846,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1431846/?format=api",
"text_counter": 220,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kwanza, FORD-K",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. Speaker, I am equally disappointed and as clearly stated by the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock, who is sitting in front of me, there is something that we have to do. Some people The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1431847,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1431847/?format=api",
"text_counter": 221,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kwanza, FORD-K",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi",
"speaker": null,
"content": "did not do their homework, and particularly, in the Ministry. The recommendation by the Committee is very clear that the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, within three months, should come up with a report and tell us exactly what happened. We oversight the Ministry and there is no doubt that there is a problem. As stated by the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock, the auditors should also conduct an audit of the maize flour program. That way, we will see whether the resources were used properly or not. As mentioned by the previous speaker, something must have happened because this was the time we were going to elections. They may have found a loophole to get money from the Government to do things that are not right. There was also a preference of the millers, as stated by the Chairman. They preferred certain millers and, therefore, we need to test the integrity of the Ministry on the whole exercise. People are looking at us to find out whether what the Ministry did is the right thing or not. I am concerned about the consumers because maize flour is the main ingredient of the real meal that we eat every time. I also eat it every time. Anybody who says they have not eaten; means they have not eaten ugali . We want it to be as recommended; a two-kilogramme packet of maize flour for Ksh100. When you go out there, you may find it is not. The whole exercise is as explained by my Chair here. We need to look at it very critically, and come up with solutions on what happened in that case. I support the Report and look forward to getting a proper one from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. I support the Motion."
},
{
"id": 1431848,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1431848/?format=api",
"text_counter": 222,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Deputy Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "The Nominated Member, Hon. Dorothy Ikiara. It seems like she pressed her button and left. The Member for Central Imenti, Hon. Moses Kirima."
},
{
"id": 1431849,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1431849/?format=api",
"text_counter": 223,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Central Imenti, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Moses Kirima",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this important Motion as per the investigation by the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock that is led by my colleague, Hon. (Dr) Mutunga. The findings of the Committee have been much awaited by Kenyans. At the time when that subsidy product was given out to the people, there was no structure per se . There was no accountability, a source, or a laid down procedure and method of how acquisition, distribution and payments were being done. The Committee has investigated this properly and those who are culpable of what had taken place should not be ignored. Action should be taken against them because a lot of taxpayers' money was used in a non-structured way. One cannot tell if it was corruptly pocketed by a few individuals or if it fed the people or not. When the Government acts to distribute subsidy flour to the people, they should have laid down the procedure to show they are accountable. They should be exposed to the Auditor- General’s investigation and the culpable or those who could not account for the Ksh7.6 billion in one way or the other should be brought to book. In no certain terms should one tell if the money was used properly by the public who pay taxes. I, therefore, want to congratulate the Committee for a commendable job. Those people should be held accountable so that it can be a lesson for others in future not to misuse taxpayers’ money."
},
{
"id": 1431850,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1431850/?format=api",
"text_counter": 224,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Deputy Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Member for Navakholo, Hon. Emanuel Wangwe."
}
]
}