Richard Makenga Katemi

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 31 to 40 of 267.

• 1 Feb 2017 in National Assembly: Thank you, I will try to be as brief as possible. I think voter registration in this country has never been taken seriously. When we are discussing about persuading people to go and register as voters, as a House, this is something that should be done in a more systematic manner. It is not easy to just go round persuading people and telling them: “Please, go and register.” There should be a system, a mechanism, where people are made to know that this is their right. Not only should they know it is their right, but there should also be ... view
• 1 Feb 2017 in National Assembly: countries have gone the electronic identification card way. They do not conduct continuous registration of voters. There should be a system whereby an ID will carry the details of the voter. That could minimise the cost of conducting a one month exercise and even trying to put this country into an electioneering mood and, hence, bringing it to a standstill. That is because everybody is out there trying to persuade people or voters to vote. It is high time we gave solutions. We should not only talk about how to continue persuading people. We should come up with a solution. ... view
• 26 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I rise to second this Motion as amended by my very good friend, Hon. Wilber Ottichilo. This is a very important Motion. It is of national importance because it is all about the need to establish a select committee to look into matters relating to GMOs. As we are all aware, the ban on GMOs was imposed in 2012. The ban was necessitated by a group of people. We have information that there was no tangible evidence that was provided to necessitate the ban. Therefore, the establishment of a select ... view
• 26 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: Hon. Deputy Speaker, we have established that the National Biosafety Authority was not involved in the said recommendation which prompted the ban in 2012. Therefore, a thorough and comprehensive investigation on the ban of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) should be conducted. GMOs provide a chance to feed the ever growing population at a cheaper cost. Many independent studies have come up with verdicts that GMOs are safe. The University of California conducted such a study on one million animal species and established that there were no ill health effects arising from the GMO technology. view
• 26 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: Hon. Deputy Speaker, the Deputy Whip just wants to “eat” into my time. view
• 26 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: In earlier experiences with GMOs in the United States of America (USA), India and South Africa, those countries were convinced that the technology only benefits a few farmers. However, there is an ever-growing list of GMOs which have potential to solve many modern problems. Some of the countries have lifted existing bans and the GMOs are now all over the world and some crops are being grown in those countries. view
• 26 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: I think this country needs to come up with a regulation and not strangulation of GMOs. In Kenya, we have sufficient capacity to regulate the adoption and use of research and development 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. view
• 26 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: of GMO technology. As you are all aware, we have the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) which is very competent and can conduct research and development pertaining to GMOs. There are also other agencies like Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Kenya Department of Veterinary Services, the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation and the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI). Those are very competent institutions which can carry out research and give a well informed position on GMOs. view
• 26 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: Therefore, the earlier ban in 2012 did not include all those agencies which are key in our country. I think there is an urgent need to adopt a legislative framework to further explore GMOs in Kenya. This is important to dispel the fears and pave way for adoption of beneficial GMOs. view
• 26 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: I beg to second the Motion as amended. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. view