Washington Jakoyo Midiwo

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 711 to 720 of 3513.

• 18 Feb 2016 in National Assembly: If I was taking money from people I would not be here. I am a defender of public good. That is not behavior expected from a Member of Parliament particularly from a sugarcane growing area. I have been saying time and again in funerals and rallies that we, members from sugarcane growing areas, must behave differently because the lives of our people depend on sugarcane. It is myopic for a Member who is also a Member of the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives to behave as if he is the only sugarcane grower. I was schooled using sugarcane money, ... view
• 18 Feb 2016 in National Assembly: The problem of the sugar sector is big and we cannot be here and talk about this Report without mentioning the illegal sugar that comes into this country. There is even a United Nations (UN) Report talking about the Shimoni sugar entry point by the Kenya Defence Forces who are in Somalia and Kismayu Port. How come we never ask ourselves why even Uganda wants to export sugar to Kenya? What is this thing with Kenya and sugar? What they are doing is that they want to kill the livelihood of six million Kenyans. It is dead and it is ... view
• 18 Feb 2016 in National Assembly: The first thing we need to do is deal with this monkey called “privatisation”. I have attended conferences and workshops organized by the Jubilee Government where they want this Parliament to allow them to privatise sugar factories; they want Government involvement. Agriculture is a devolved function and any attempt not to transfer sugar factories to the counties is an attempt to keep milking the sugar industry. What should be done is that all sugar factories and their assets must be transferred to the counties. We need the Committee to help us. This country is simply too large and the industry ... view
• 18 Feb 2016 in National Assembly: There are private companies which are functioning well in this country. There is Butali, Western, Transmara and Kibos sugar companies. It means that the Government cannot do it, but private companies can do better. Therefore, the work which should be left for Members of Assemblies and Parliament is to make laws to protect the private investors from milking and exploiting our farmers. We can do this and it happens everywhere. When the Government determines through whatever means to give lumpsum cash to sugar factories like it was done to Mumias Sugar Company the other day, I knew it was going ... view
• 18 Feb 2016 in National Assembly: The Government must follow the Constitution. Agriculture is a devolved function. There is no way we can follow the Sugar Development Fund from Nairobi. Who determined that? What was the logic of building the Headquarters of the Sugar Board in Nairobi other than it being easily accessible to the corrupt? It is just corruption. Why are they collecting money from innocent people and bringing it to Nairobi so that Members and leaders can come and beg for it? The factories are always constantly closed or not functioning properly. Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi said that Nzoia Sugar Company made a loss of ... view
• 18 Feb 2016 in National Assembly: It bothers me that we live in a country where people adore having a lot of money. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, remember you said that I will speak in my capacity as the “Leader of the Minority Party”. It bothers me that some people work very hard but their sweat is “eaten” by just a few people. The so-called sugar barons will never even get to enjoy what they are doing to this country. This is the only country I know on earth where people adore money very much--- view
• 18 Feb 2016 in National Assembly: Thank you. I appreciate it, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. It is only in our country where people adore money very much. The other thing they adore is land. We are not true to our calling. I watch some of my colleagues. You are aware that this guy has dealt with sugar but they are mediocre and hypocritical. Their mothers cannot afford the same sugar produced in their backyards because somebody has decided to flood our markets with imported sugar. In this Report, the KRA, transporters and management of Mumias Sugar Company are blamed as far as the company is concerned. ... view
• 18 Feb 2016 in National Assembly: guarantee them payment on regular basis. You cannot tell people from the village to run sugar factories. Even the Government has no capacity. Only private businesspeople can engage in that kind of business. There was a lot of pomp around the donation to Mumias Sugar Company. At that time, the Government said that it was donating Kshs2 billion. Nothing has changed and I know my friend, Hon. Ababu Namwamba, knows that. The people who said they were coming to help you and our people did so because they wanted to play politics. Those are roadside declarations. Yesterday, I heard the ... view
• 17 Feb 2016 in National Assembly: On a point of order, Hon. Speaker. view
• 17 Feb 2016 in National Assembly: Hon. Speaker, on a point of order before the amendment is seconded. Hon. Benjamin Washiali comes from a sugar-growing area just like me. This is a House of rules. Before a Member moves such an amendment, first of all, the Member must declare if he or she has a personal interest. view