11 Feb 2021 in Senate:
protect the interests of our counties, think about our people and their issues economically. Therefore, Sen. Wambua, congratulations for bringing this Bill. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when in the National Assembly, there was a Bill that was brought in the Senate - I think it passed and came to the National Assembly - on potatoes by Sen. (Eng.) Karue Muriuki of Nyandarua County. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it was very easy for Members in the National Assembly to try and make light of it and say that the Senate had no business; they were doing potato Bills. However, when you ...
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11 Feb 2021 in Senate:
i is looking at. Even on this one, they will try and make light of it and say that we are legislating on ndengu, but it is an important issue to legislate on. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am sitting next to the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. He will tell you that agriculture contributes 60 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or economic activities. However, I am always at pains to reconcile a mismatch in economics; that despite agriculture contributing to 60 per cent of our GDP, its contribution to revenue is less ...
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11 Feb 2021 in Senate:
Some radical questions must be asked and answered with regard to the agricultural sector. That is why I initially started by saying that Sen. Wambua knows why 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.
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11 Feb 2021 in Senate:
this specific crop is important for the area he represents because that is what can work in that area.
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11 Feb 2021 in Senate:
These discussions must be done. People are now moving to other crops and adding value. For example, we have sunflower in Bungoma. Farmers there are very poor yet we are importing sunflower oil. If we developed sunflower farming in Bungoma and parts of Kitale, we have a captive market all the way to Turkana, Southern Sudan and Uganda to produce oil. The byproduct of that oil production is soap. We want to see factories there and talk of how we add value to that crop. It can transform the economy of the Western Region.
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11 Feb 2021 in Senate:
We should look at what can be done better at the Coast to turn the economy on its head. Look at what happened to Galana-Kulalu Project. These are questions that we must ask and answer if we want to transform our economy and forget the high-level theories that I hear people banding around of how to change the economy and how to improve livelihoods of the common person in this country.
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11 Feb 2021 in Senate:
Mr. Speaker, Sir, the second thing that impresses me in this Bill that is nuanced is the issue of school feeding. I thank Sen. Wambua. I spoke about this yesterday. Since schools opened in Nairobi, I have visited around eight of them. One will want to shed a tear if they looked at those children. They are trying to keep brave faces but they are hungry. There is nothing at home. The COVID-19 pandemic has had very bad effects on the economy and parents are broke.
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11 Feb 2021 in Senate:
We used to have a school feeding programme. When I was growing up in Nairobi we used to have maziwa ya Nyayo . We would get milk in school which would add to nutrition. The late President Moi left a mark even as we remember his first anniversary. We are giving Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) Ksh4 billion for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) yet with a similar amount we can feed all our children in schools because it is the farmers who are growing these things.
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11 Feb 2021 in Senate:
The Government can buy rice, mung beans and maize and make sure a child in school will at least get a meal. Sen. (Dr.) Milgo as the Chairperson, I do not know what you have thought about this – I raised it yesterday - because it is for your Committee. We must introduce it.
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11 Feb 2021 in Senate:
Nairobi is what we call shamba la mawe. When one does not have money, they will not eat or sleep because they have to pay for everything. At least for some of you in the rural areas, there is something. Even if you plucked the hedge there is mboga which is edible. A neighbor will give you a gorogoro of maize. The children in Nairobi and the urban areas are suffering.
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