H.E. William Ruto, EGH, EBS

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 411 to 420 of 478.

• 30 Apr 2008 in National Assembly: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I appreciate the concern of the hon. Member from that region, with regard to this subject. I will be visiting that part of the world soon to assess for myself the concrete steps required to achieve the best interest for the farmers, the region and the sugar industry. I will give him an undertaking that to the best of my ability, we will work together with all the stakeholders, hon. Members included, towards arriving at the best possible solution. If Mumias Sugar Company will have the capacity to set up a white sugar factory in that ... view
• 30 Apr 2008 in National Assembly: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am looking into the issue of reviewing the Sugar Act that the hon. Member has referred to because there is also need, besides what the hon. Member April 30, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 745 has talked about, to remove the regulatory powers from the development and marketing of sugar because all that these are lumped together. That is why we have very serious problems at the Kenya Sugar Board because that the regulatory authority is combined with the development and marketing responsibilities. These two should be separate. There is no way we can have a Government ... view
• 30 Apr 2008 in National Assembly: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have a comprehensive plan to produce, as much as possible, the sugar that is consumed in this country. We have a comprehensive plan to produce sugar in Ramisi and the Tana Belt. In fact, close to 100,000 hectares of land are already in preparation. Agreements will be signed this year with investors including Mumias Sugar Company and other investors so that we can produce sugar in Tana and Ramisi. It is our estimation that we will cut down the importation of sugar by between 70 per cent and 80 per cent if those two belts ... view
• 30 Apr 2008 in National Assembly: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to assure the hon. Member for Butula that the farm will not be sold. Mr. Atsioya of Atsioya and Company Advocates is claiming legal fees amounting to Kshs30 million but we are unsure as to how that amount of money was arrived at. We have taken adequate steps on the ground to make sure that the land will not be sold. The public interest will be protected. I also want to assure him that we will put every effort, between us and other players, to make sure that the farmers in that region have ... view
• 29 Apr 2008 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) My Ministry has authorised National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to get into the fertilizer market in order to stabilise the prices. In fact, our projection for this year is that, from the 8 per cent of the fertilizer market which the NCPB has traditionally controlled, we want to move the participation of NCPB and, by extension, the Government, to between 40 and 50 per cent. We have ordered the fertilizer and it will be in the country on 29th May, 2008. (b) My Ministry, together with other stakeholders, has distributed a ... view
• 29 Apr 2008 in National Assembly: Indeed, I am aware, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I agree with the hon. Member that, as a Government, we did not act in time to participate meaningfully in assisting our farmers to get the correct fertilizer to plant. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to inform the hon. Member, who represents farmers just like I do that, that notwithstanding, the fertilizer we are bringing in--- We are bringing in about 150,000 bags of fertilizer. It will not be in vain because I am anticipating the short rains in other parts of the country. We need to assist farmers in those other parts ... view
• 29 Apr 2008 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, indeed, I agree with the hon. Member that some of our farmers are still holed up at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps. The IDPs are looking for concrete steps on how they can go back to normalcy. I think we have the responsibility and duty to make sure that we put in place those concrete steps, so that they can go back to their farms and do what they are used to doing. They do not need the kind of high priests that we now have hanging around pontificating about the problems of the IDPs without ... view
• 29 Apr 2008 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, I agree with hon. Muriithi that we need to base this on accurate information. I want to assure him that my Ministry understands very clearly that we need between 450,000 metric tonnes and 500,000 metric tonnes of the various categories of fertilizer every planting season. It is correct also that the Government, through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), has in the past controlled a very small fraction. In fact, it has been between 8 per cent and 15 per cent of that market. Therefore, the Government has not been in a position to influence the ... view
• 29 Apr 2008 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, that is a different Question, but I will answer it. It is categorical that the leaders from the Rift Valley Province did not, in any way, want the delay for a day, of the return of the IDPs to their farms. All they wanted was a comprehensive and tangible programme on how this was going to happen. They wanted a real programme and not a public relations exercise. We did not want to participate in a public relations exercise. We want to have tangible steps on how people will get back to their homes and farm. That ... view
• 29 Apr 2008 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is a way in which we can achieve the same price without going the route of price control. That is a less quarrelsome way of resulting in the same price. My Ministry has chosen to use Government muscles in terms of stabilising the fertilizer market. I want to assure the hon. Member that even without price controls, we will be able to get a better price for fertilizer using the alternative route that we have chosen by making sure that there is active Government participation in that sector. view