HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, POST, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"count": 1608389,
"next": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=api&page=96010",
"previous": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=api&page=96008",
"results": [
{
"id": 973169,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/973169/?format=api",
"text_counter": 126,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Eng.) Maina",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 75,
"legal_name": "Ephraim Mwangi Maina",
"slug": "ephraim-maina"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Statement on the closure of Kibos Sugar Factory. Whatever the reasons that the NEMA may have, they need to weigh it against the national interests. Today, you can see that the life of the people in the whole of the Western belt, which used to be a sugar belt, is very pathetic since our sugar factories collapsed. A place like Mumias that used be very vibrant when the sugar industry was active is today a graveyard of its past and people are suffering. Again, one of the major problems we are facing in this country is the cost of living of the ordinary man. The other one is employment for our youth. This factory was definitely providing employment to some youth and livelihood to some ordinary Kenyans. Before coming to the point of declaring a closure, there are other measures that I believe should have been taken, like advisory measures and even trying to see that things are turned back. We should not have blatantly closed the factory hence affecting the people who depend on it for a livelihood. Mr. Speaker, Sir, today, when you go to the Industrial Area within this city, it is like a graveyard of many factories. There used to be many industries in Industrial Area. This country must have a policy to encourage the factories that are working. If they are not working efficiently and injuring the environment in one way or another, let them be advised on how to get things done right. Secondly, when NEMA rushes to Kibos and closes a factory, I wonder what they are doing in Nairobi. There is a lot of environmental abuse all over. They should have taken the Nairobi City Government to court because Nairobi City is filthy. There is a lot of environmental abuse all over and yet nothing is being done. Let us not just be talking about the need for this or that committee taking action. Let the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, for example, move quickly and ensure that the factory is re-opened. That should be the first thing."
},
{
"id": 973170,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/973170/?format=api",
"text_counter": 127,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Eng.) Maina",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 75,
"legal_name": "Ephraim Mwangi Maina",
"slug": "ephraim-maina"
},
"content": "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."
},
{
"id": 973171,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/973171/?format=api",
"text_counter": 128,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Eng.) Maina",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 75,
"legal_name": "Ephraim Mwangi Maina",
"slug": "ephraim-maina"
},
"content": "They should then be relooking into the matter. We cannot keep on waiting for a report for one or two months. We will not achieve much. We would want to see a way of reopening the factory, make it work the way it was, and then look into the matter."
},
{
"id": 973172,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/973172/?format=api",
"text_counter": 129,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Faki",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13211,
"legal_name": "Mohamed Faki Mwinyihaji",
"slug": "mohamed-faki-mwinyihaji-2"
},
"content": "Asante, Bw. Spika kwa kunipa fursa hii kuchangia Taarifa ambayo imeletwa Bungeni na Sen. Charargei. Ni jambo la kusikitisha kwamba NEMA imeamua kufunga Kiwanda cha Kusaga Miwa cha Kibos wakati ambapo wakulima wengi wanategemea kiwanda hicho kuuza miwa yao na kupata riziki ya kuwasomesha watoto wao ambao wako shuleni na vyuoni vikuu. Na pia kukimu mahitaji ya maisha. Ni lazima NEMA ifanye kazi katika hali tunayoita public interest au faida za jamii. Wajibu wao mkubwa ni kwa kusaidia umma kusonga mbele. Kwa hivyo, wanapofunga kiwanda wakati ambapo hakuna kiwanda kingine karibu na hapo ambapo wananchi wanaweza kupeleka miwa yao, ina maana kwamba wanajaribu kuhujumu haki ya umma kupata huduma sawa katika eneo lao. Kwa hivyo, kitendo hiki cha NEMA kinafaa kikemewe na hatua za haraka zichukuliwe. Hii kwa sababu wakulima wengi hawana matumaini hivi sasa. Viwanda vingi vya miwa katika eneo la Magharibi vimefungwa, kikiwemo kiwanda kikubwa cha Mumias. Kwa hivyo, wasiruhusiwe kuwadhalilisha wakulima ambao tegemeo lao kubwa ni kuuza miwa ili wapate mapato. Asante, Bw. Spika."
},
{
"id": 973173,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/973173/?format=api",
"text_counter": 130,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen (Prof.) Ongeri",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to ventilate my support for this Statement. The issues in this Statement are that NEMA has closed down Kibos Sugar Factory. Who is suffering? It is the suppliers of the cane to Kibos who are farmers cutting across more than three counties. I thought that, that is the best way of demonstrating the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) approach in getting all farmers from Nandi, Kakamega, Kisumu and Kericho to converge in Kibos. This, therefore, enhances the debate of BBI to continue living together peacefully while harnessing the economic potential of that region that is at stake now that this factory has been closed down. Sadly I have been following this event and the last I heard is that they wanted to close down Kibos Sugar Factory because of water pollution. They went round and they managed to clear that point by working closely with the management of NEMA and the company management. That issue was resolved. The next stage was the accusation of air pollution; giving them 30 days to close down that factor. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you will appreciate that if you are accusing a factory of that magnitude because of the size of the particles being emitted to the atmosphere, there is an argument whether these are liable or non-liable. It is neither here nor there, even if they wanted to follow the law to the end. These are issues that can only be resolved through both the management of NEMA and the management of the factory. It takes time because it is a process of engagement. I would suggest that now that some of us are conversant with NEMA laws and regulations, because I was one of those who created NEMA when I was in the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) ---"
},
{
"id": 973174,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/973174/?format=api",
"text_counter": 131,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen (Prof.) Ongeri",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "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."
},
{
"id": 973175,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/973175/?format=api",
"text_counter": 132,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen (Prof.) Ongeri",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Whereas I am persuaded that they should take action at an appropriate time, I think that the time they have decided to take action is very inopportune. This is simply because they have locked out farmers who have already cut their cane and it has been rotting out there. There is no other alternative factory where they can take their cane to. Therefore, they have caused these farmers to suffer great loss because cane in drying up. I urge that the Committee moves with speed to create a temporary seizure of any action and allow the farmers to continue delivering this process. This is because I am persuaded that the particles that are being emitted to the air are not very dangerous at this stage. They do fall within the given omissible law. I suggest that whatever Committee you refer this matter, it should first of all seek to persuade NEMA to remove the caveat of closure. It should allow the farmers to continue delivering cane while they are managing the process of how they can agree on an arrangement of the factories to continue functioning."
},
{
"id": 973176,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/973176/?format=api",
"text_counter": 133,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 407,
"legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
"slug": "ledama-olekina"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. When it comes to tackling issues that affect the wananchi, these are some of the things that make me a proud Member of this House. It saddens me when I hear that there are over 3,000 employees and over 10,000 farmers who are now rendered jobless because of actions from NEMA that I consider selective. We have had serous issues with NEMA. When I sat in the Committee that was investigating the Solai Dam tragedy on a daily basis, NEMA failed Kenyans. When I see that NEMA does not give a hoot about young farmers, the boda boda, people who have small transport businesses and the mama mboga, who sell food to the people, it worries me. Today has been a very interesting day in this House because the first Petition dealt with people’s lives being affected. There is a time that I got in touch with NEMA on certain activities of people destroying the environment in Narok. The first response that I got was that they had decentralized their operations. When I hear that the order for the closure of Kibos Sugar Factory came from the headquarters then it is quite suspicious for me. I now believe it is true that it is a cartel and it is not being done because of the interest of the environment. Let us be honest; NEMA does not give a hoot about the environment. Where I live, a 100 metres away from my house, people are harvesting volcanic ash. When I call NEMA, they say they cannot come. We have to worry about the poor Kenyans who are on the streets. These are poor Kenyans who cannot supply their cane to a sugar factory because of two things. One, is the fact that NEMA has closed down the factory that has been supporting them. Secondly, because of the laws that govern the sugar industry like zoning, for example, if you are growing your cane in one area, you cannot sell it in another area. Mr. Speaker, Sir, these are matters which I would like to beseech you to move expeditiously to ensure that once you assign this task to the committees, action is taken immediately. This is because soon, we will have students going home because their parents cannot afford to pay school fees. Our people are dying because they cannot afford to pay medical bills since the economy they depend on has been destroyed."
},
{
"id": 973177,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/973177/?format=api",
"text_counter": 134,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 407,
"legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
"slug": "ledama-olekina"
},
"content": "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."
},
{
"id": 973178,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/973178/?format=api",
"text_counter": 135,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 407,
"legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
"slug": "ledama-olekina"
},
"content": "We cannot allow greed. Whenever we have industries that come and setup, the only thing we should do is to ensure that they employ locals. This industry, Kibos, apart from another one which is in Narok which is employing all foreigners, the one in this area is employing the local people; 3,000 factory employees and 10,000 farmers supply sugarcane there. Where do you want them to go? These are things that lead to a revolution. We cannot be proud to say that we can afford our lives, drive our 100,000-dollar cars, yet farmers who are working hard, the ones who vote for us, we allow actions of certain individuals, particularly coming from the headquarters, to hurt them. What business does a person coming from the headquarters have in going down to a centralized operation and closing it down? I am concerned. This is why we need to amend our Standing Orders. This is because earlier on, Sen. Omogeni said that we do not have a certificate of emergency in this House. This is an emergency. We may need to ask ourselves the actions---"
}
]
}