Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion:- THAT, this House adopts the Second Report of the Select Committee on Appointments on the Vetting of the following Cabinet Secretary nominees laid on the Table today Wednesday 5th June, 2013:
1. Mr. Joseph J. Mpaa ole Lenku; Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government.
2. Hon. Kazungu Kambi; Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion:-
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Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion:- THAT, aware that small holder farmers living in the buffer zones around Mt. Kenya National Park and Forest Reserve have struggled for years with the elephants that regularly invade their land and destroy their crops which is also a costly affair for these small holder farmers where livelihoods are often lost in a single night raid; further concerned that hardly a day goes without an incident occurring between the farmer and the elephants in Mt. Kenya area; noting that the elephants from the park easily stray outside the perimeter---
Order, hon. Member! Did you get the approval?
Yes.
And it was approved?
I did not get a written approval.
It is not written “approved” on the one that you have? So that you may know we are a House of rules and procedures, I am informed it has not been seen by the Speaker.
Obliged, hon. Deputy Speaker.
It is just a process of approving it. You can bring it back in the afternoon. But I do have another hon. member. Has yours been approved by the Speaker? Yours is a Statement, it is not a notice of motion.
Yes.
Right, I see no more requests for notice of motion so next Order please.
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The hon. Member, if you do not have a card you can either use the next or come to the Dispatch Box.
Pursuant to Standing Order 44 (2)(c) I wish to request for a statement from the chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs regarding the challenges facing membership of the Teachers Service Commission. Hon. Deputy Speaker, TSC advertised to fill vacancies in its membership in September 2012. Consequently, 11 candidates for the position of member of Commission and five for chairperson were shortlisted and interviewed in October 2012. Thereafter, the selection panel forwarded five candidates for the Commission’s position and three candidates for chairperson to the Principals, for onward submission of one nominee for chairperson and three nominees to Parliament for consideration and approval. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the candidates were referred to the relevant Departmental Committee. In its first report dated 2nd January 2013, the Committee recommended the names be approved but the House rejected the nominees. The President submitted a second list of nominees for approval to Parliament however the list submitted contained the same names as were rejected by the House except for one, Mr. Cleopas Tirop. The relevant Committee made a second report recommending approval of the list and the House approved the nominees on 9th January 2013, this was in total contravention of the TSC Act which requires a fresh list to be resubmitted. Hon. Deputy Speaker, a petition was lodged in court on the appointment of the approved nominees for Commissioners and chairperson on 25th March, 2013 and the court ruled that the nomination was improper, null and void in law. The court further directed that the President picks the next set of candidates based on meritocracy, gender and regional balance from the list of shortlisted and interviewed candidates. Among the nominees, only Mr. Cleopas Tirop met the requirement of fresh nomination hence was appointed and sworn in as a Commissioner. Hon. Deputy Speaker, in his statement the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs should explain why the court ruling was not implemented in light of the remaining two vacancies for members of the Commission; why the State Law Office is not fulfilling its constitutional mandate of advising the President to submit the names of the remaining Commissioners as ruled by the High Court and duly guided by the TSC Act. And thirdly, why the Attorney General is allowing the TSC and constitutional Commission to face a potential crisis as the term of the remaining five Commissioners is coming to an end on 14th January 2013, leaving only one Commissioner in office from 15th June 2013. Thank you.
How much time does the Chairman of that Committee require? Which committee did you say you wanted it to go to?
Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs.
I think it is better directed to the Committee on Education, Research and Technology.
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Hon. Deputy Speaker, I got the guidance from the Speaker: it concerns the State Law Office.
That is Okay. Is the Chair or Vice-Chair of Justice and Legal Affairs Committee here? None of them is present? The Leader of Majority Party, you can pass the information and let us know the time frame which they require to give us that statement. You still want to say something?
Given the urgency of the statement required on 15th this month, the entire TSC, an institution, and in view of the already looming strike, I feel this statement should be in the House in the next three or four days, at most; I so request.
Okay; I think Leader of Majority Party, you have heard the urgency with which this matter needs to be prosecuted. We do not have any other statement; next Order?
We are resuming debate on the Motion by hon. Wakhungu and there is a balance of 48 minutes. The person who was on the Floor was hon Ng’ongo or had he finished? He had finished. So, anybody can contribute and we can start with hon. Injendi.
Thank you hon. Deputy Speaker, I rise to support the Motion. I am supporting this Motion because majority of farmers in the country have been crying so much about fertilizer and seedlings. For example, where I come from, during planting season, most of these inputs have been arriving long after the planting season. Some farmers use fertilizers that are not appropriate for their farms or for the crops. So, I support what the hon. Member has come up with, because when we have this kind of
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How come his card is there and he is not there physically? Hon. David Bowen Kangogo, are you there?
Yes, hon. Deputy Speaker.
Okay, proceed.
Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me the opportunity to support this Motion. The Motion is very good. We need to set up a new board to look into the fertilizer issue. However, I do not think the problem of fertilizers has been caused by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) because the Board just facilitates the buying of fertilizers. The whole problem lies with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance. If no money is given to the Board, what will it use to buy the fertilizers? There is need for the Ministry of Finance to allocate more funds to the Ministry of Agriculture for the specific purpose of buying fertilizers in appropriate time. Otherwise, the core business of the NCPB has nothing to do with fertilizers. The core functions of the NCPB are storage of grains and management of the National Grain Reserve (NGR).
The idea in this Motion is very good because even as we speak, farmers in my constituency of Marakwet East do not have fertilizers. They are still using manure. Lack of fertilizers has become a very big problem to farmers. At the beginning of this year, we went to the NCPB with some Members of County Assembly from my county. We discussed the matter with the Managing Director with a view to convincing him to take fertilizers to either Kapsowar or Chesoi, in my constituency; but up to now, they have not. The Managing Director said that he was not given enough funds to enable him to distribute fertilizers. Therefore, this House, and especially the Committee on Agriculture, should come up with a proposal to set aside more funds for fertilizers, and especially for local production to enable farmers to access it in time.
With those remarks, I beg to support.
Yes, hon. Mwinga Chea.
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Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I rise to support the Motion.
First, I must command my brother, hon. Wamalwa for bringing this Motion quite in good time. The idea in the Motion is noble for we understand that food security is vital for the general development of this nation. Our own Constitution, in Article 43(1) (c), makes it a right for every person to be freed from hunger and, of course, have adequate food of good quality. Generally, agriculture has been said to be the backbone of our economy. If agriculture is well taken care of, it is expected that the issues of poverty and unemployment will be issues of the past. Hon. Deputy Speaker, it is equally important that once fertilizers are supplied, there is good human resource to train farmers on how to use them. As it is now, a good number of farmers in the country – specifically those in the rural areas – use what we might call ‘archaic’ methods of farming. They largely do subsistence farming. In most places, farmers plant on the same pieces of land for years on end. This must be discouraged. Proper mechanisms must be put in place to ensure that farmers are given an opportunity to grow enough crops, so that we can have sufficient food for this country. With those very few remarks, I beg to support.
Yes, hon. Joseph M’eruaki M'uthari.
Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this very important and timely Motion. We are aware that agriculture is very important, and that fertilizer is also very important. We know that many times, the problem with crops is not so much of water stress but is related to fertilizers. We are aware that those countries which have low consumption fertilizers are food insecure. As a country, if we cannot feed our citizens, we cannot even claim to be independent. It is a shame that 50 years after Independence we still cannot feed ourselves. One of the problems we have is that we give functions to people who are not capable of performing them. The NCPB is already overwhelmed by the matter of handling grains. Therefore, they do not have time to think strategically as far as fertilizer is concerned. As a country, many times we complain about lack of money but the problem is not lack of money. The problem is how we spend the money that we already have. Where do we put our priorities? The amount of money that this country spends every year on purchase of relief food is enough to invest in the establishment of a fertilizer factory, so that the fertilizer can be accessed by farmers at affordable prices. Hon. Deputy Speaker, there has been debate about subsidy. We have to be truthful to ourselves. There is no country in the world that has developed because it has been supported by another country. Yesterday, some hon. Members made reference to countries like Malawi, which is dependent on external support. I do not think depending on external support is the way forward. The money that we spend on purchase of relief food can be used to subsidise the farmers. If farmers are subsidised to enable them acquire fertilisers and other farm inputs, we can be food secure. We can also process our agricultural produce, market them and get more money. So, after the passage of this Motion, the Mover should go ahead and come up with a Bill for the establishment of the proposed board, so that it can take up the function of supplying farm inputs to farmers. We have to do first things first. If we address the issue
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Hon. Jackson Sakaja, can you explain how come your card has been in use yet you were not physically present in the House?
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I would like to apologise. I had to dash out to deal with an urgent matter but I was here. However, thank you for giving me the opportunity all the same.
Hon. Joseph, could you switch off your microphone please? Thank you.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I would first like to thank Mheshimiwa Wamalwa who also happens to be my neighbour in Trans Nzoia for bringing such a Motion to the House because indeed it is long overdue. I am reminded of the parable of the talents in the Bible where a master left his home and gave three servants some talents or some money. One received one talent; another received two and another received five. The one who had one multiplied it and got two. The one who had two multiplied and got four but the one who had five buried it because he was afraid that it would get lost. For the past many years, this country has behaved like the servant who received five talents because indeed this country has been blessed by God immensely in terms of land and the resources we have.
On a point of order, hon. Deputy Speaker.
Hon. Dalmas, were you on a point of order?
Yes, hon. Deputy Speaker. The hon. Member has misquoted the Bible and has grossly misled the House. It is the one talent that was buried and the five talent that multiplied. Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker.
I can see who is more conversant with the Bible, hon. Sakaja.
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Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am glad the point has reached home. Either way, as a country, we have buried our talent. Kenya has the potential of being a net exporter of food. We can be Africa’s bread basket. Indeed, even my home country of Trans Nzoia alone can feed this entire country but for a long time we have been inefficient in terms of agriculture and production and we have not been serious. I am reminded of two or three years ago when we had some famine in this country and when there was the Kenya for Kenyans Programme, a country like Egypt donated food to this country. Now, Egypt has only 3 per cent of arable land. Donating food to a country like Kenya with more than 30 per cent arable land, indeed I think that was embarrassing to say the least.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, in support of this Motion I would like to point out that within this country we have solutions and I am glad that as part of the manifesto of the Jubilee Government there are indeed plans not only to irrigate more than a million acres but also to set up agricultural investment trusts because part of the way we can mobilise agriculture as an economic sector and also to feed our country is by public private partnership because the Government cannot do it all. I am also pleased that three quarters of Kenyans are actually involved in agriculture. Sadly, most of the production has been subsistence and I think that is what we need to move and this, indeed, is a good beginning and a move towards that direction.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, my comments will be brief and I just want to give an example of what Nigeria has done with respect to fertilizer and with respect to distribution of subsidies. In Nigeria, they have used technology. From May 2012 they came up with a system called the “Electronic Wallet Programme” and in that system farmers were getting credit on their phones to go and collect fertilizer subsidies and that cut out so many levels of corruption. The company that did it says that they disbursed 28 billion worth of agricultural subsidies and in addition to that, they made a saving of 16.3 billion. We know that even when the Government gives subsidies of agriculture, many times they do not reach the intended recipients and farmers. We know many times middlemen in between take the subsidies and sell them at higher costs to the farmers but we need to solve that issue. We need to ensure we have a Fertilizer Board that is efficient and you will be glad to know and the hon. Members will be pleased to note that, indeed, the company that did that in Nigeria is a Kenyan company called “Cellulant” and they made savings of more than Kshs.16.3 billion. We have these solutions in our country. We have the solutions of technology. I look forward, once we have set up the Fertilizer Board, to look at other avenues through which we can indeed make our country a food basket because a country that cannot feed itself cannot claim to be a sovereign country. We must ensure that no Kenyan goes hungry in this land. We must ensure that no Kenyan goes hungry in any part of this country, whether it is Turkana or North Eastern Province. Yesterday, I heard hon. Members from some dry areas saying that if only they had water, their counties could feed this country. Hon. Deputy Speaker, it is sad that in the 21st Century – in the digital age – we are depending on factors that we cannot control like the weather to feed our people. There are technological solutions that indeed can be effected. So, I want to thank Mheshimiwa Wamalwa for bringing this Motion. I want to fully support it and I urge this House,
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Now, hon. Members, we only have 20 minutes more before I call the Mover to reply and I have a long list here. So, I do not know whether you would wish we reduce the time for each hon. Member so that they get an opportunity? Is that in order that we reduce to two minutes each?
Yes.
Okay. So, two minutes it shall be and it is starting with hon. Peter Safari Shehe.
Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I stand to support this Motion. I come to the opinion that the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) should not only be handling fertilizer but there should be a certain section for technical staff to actually train the farmers who have got less skills.
Which hon. Member is that? I am sorry I need my glasses. You are almost three months into crossing the Floor without going to the Bar. I did not say that you leave the House altogether.
Is it hon. Opiyo or which hon. Member is that? It is hon. Okoth. Yes, please, let us respect the rules of the House. We cannot cross to the other side without going to the Bar. Okay, hon. Shehe, you may continue.
Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I stand to support this Motion. I think the NCPB should have a separate section with technical staff who can maybe equip the farmers with the relevant technical skills on how to apply fertilizer on crops. This is because you find instances whereby somebody can go and buy a certain chemical and maybe it is not really meant for that crop. In this matter, maybe the relevant technical knowhow will assist such farmers. It is not a bad idea that people are really informed before such a big factory is constructed to produce fertilizer. There is even zero grazing whereby you get the cow dung of the cows and use it for top dressing and it can do very well. Although, if it is a big piece of land we may need fertilizer to---
Your time is up
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Hon. Deputy Speaker, I also rise to support this Motion because yesterday afternoon, I was here and nobody has so far opposed this Motion. At the outset, I want to declare that I had the privilege of working at National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and our core function then was to purchase cereals, stock, distribute and sell. After I left, NCPB was given the mandate of stocking the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR). When I was there, there was no time that soil experts were employed. We did not have agricultural officers. Therefore, I am wondering whether there is the additional mandate of purchase of fertilizer. I know that is a very technical addition to the business of farming. But who has been advising the Board on what kind of fertilizer to buy, when to buy and when to supply? I know that the---
Your two minutes are over! You must organize your points in such a way that the most important ones come first. It is because of time. I know that you have good information. You can always ask the Mover to give you an extra minute later.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for giving this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion by hon. Wakhungu.
To achieve maximum output in the production of crops, there are various things that a farmer has to do. I will use maize as an example because I come from an area that grows maize. First, the farmer has to prepare his land early. Secondly, he or she has to plant on time. When maize is planted on time, it needs fertilizer. Thirdly, the farmer has to use herbicides or weed on time. Thereafter, the farmer needs to harvest his crop and store it well. What has been happening is that farmers prepare the land in good time but when it comes to planting - like what happened this year - there is no fertilizer. The planting season in that area this year was March and the fertilizer arrived in late April. As of now, it is time for what we call---
Your two minutes are over; the same advice suffices.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to support the Motion on fertilizers. I do not need to over-emphasize the importance of fertilizer in farming. I wanted to recommend that the Ministry of Finance alongside the Ministry of Agriculture should work hand-in-hand so that Treasury can provide money in good time so that, that fertilizer can be availed to farmers in good time. I am not only talking about the availability of fertilizer. We want the fertilizer to be available in good prices so that farmers can afford to buy it. It is needless to provide fertilizer at prices beyond the reach of farmers. As a Member of Parliament coming from a maize producing area, we would like fertilizer to be in the range of Kshs1,500. I also want to give an opinion. The Ministry of Agriculture and Treasury should work on a long-term programme so that we can set up a plant to produce fertilizer within the country. Otherwise, with those few remarks, I beg to support and congratulate hon. Wakhungu for such an important topic.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this Motion. My observations are three. First, before we talk about fertilizer, we must know what the fertilizer is going to do. So, the first thing to do is soil analysis. In most of our counties, we have no soil analysis. We do not know what our soil lacks. So, there is no need to just acquire fertilizer for the sake of it. The first important issue is soil analysis in the country to know what the soil lacks. The second issue is this: If this country needs to be food
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Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity. First of all, I want to thank my brother, hon. Wakhungu for bringing this Motion to this House. It is long overdue. The setting up of a fertilizer board is a good idea. But I think we need a parastatal which deals with all the inputs, so that our farmers can get fertilizer on time. Many hon. Members have spoken about the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Finance. I think that is where the problem is. It is not so much about NCPB. The Ministry is not giving out money on time so that we can import the fertilizer for farmers. I come from Narok County and we grow wheat and maize between November, December, January and February. But they bring the fertilizer when it is already too late. Most of the fertilizer is lying in our centers. But the issue is: How come they do not bring it between August and September, so that our farmers can plant? Another big issue is the supply centers. Yes, they may bring the fertilizer but, when it comes into the country, it is not taken to where farmers are. We need to do a Bill which will answer to the whole issue of supplying fertilizer. We now have a new Cabinet Secretary whom we need to take this problem to. He can sort out the problem of timing in the 47 counties.
Your time is up!
Hon. Deputy Speaker, as we speak of fertilizer not reaching some places in the country, I wish to confirm to this House that Nyandarua County, which can almost feed this country; does not even get the fertilizer, leave alone it reaching the town. So, this is a good Motion bearing in mind that agriculture is the backbone of our economy. Additionally, we know agriculture can create employment and, as per the Jubilee coalition’s manifesto, that can be resolved once and for all. I wish not to look at food security just like that. With food security in the country, education will definitely improve because when children go to school while well fed, their intellectual capacity will increase. They will be able to gather, learn, research and, at the end of the day, perform very well. Peace will prevail. That is because without food security, maybe, the fights that we find, particularly in North Eastern and the lower parts of the country, will be a thing of the past. People fight because they are idle and hungry, amongst other reasons. So, with food security, peace will prevail and security, in itself, will also prevail. The people will be engaged; they will be busy and all that. Hon. Deputy Speaker, investors will also come to our country, particularly in the agricultural sector. They will bring more revenue, improve our country’s economy through infrastructure and others sectors. The improvement of agriculture through the supply of fertilizer agenda, which hon. Chris Wakhungu has brought to this House, will
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Thank you hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I stand to support the Motion and I want to congratulate hon. Chris Wakhungu for bringing this very timely Motion to this House. In fact, it is even too late. We have two problems in this country. A country that cannot feed its citizens is a very poor country. That has come about because of the inefficiency of NCPB to procure fertilizer in good time. So, the new fertilizer board, as proposed in this Motion, is going to be charged with the responsibility of ensuring that we get fertilizer on time. Hon. Deputy Speaker, this year in Belgut Constituency, fertilizer arrived almost two months ago when we had already planted. So, it was not of any relevance to the economy of this country. I would urge that we pass this Motion very swiftly so that we can have the board in place. Another issue is on the distribution of fertilizer, where some areas are given fertilizer on time and others are not---
Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I am hon. Jackson Kipkorir Rop, Member of Parliament for Kipkelion West. I want to take this opportunity to thank my people and the Almighty God for giving me an opportunity to be in this House. First, I want to support the Motion which is before this House. Fertilizer is very essential in this country. We come from maize and coffee growing areas and to get better yields, you need to put a lot of inputs in those farms. I want to say that NCPB per se is not the problem. The main problem is the Treasury and the Ministry of Agriculture. There is a conflict in terms of release of resources. Funding NCPB is actually an issue that is causing delays in terms of supply of fertilizer. I also want to propose that, as we support this Motion, this country is endowed with a lot of animal waste and vegetables that we can use to make organic fertilizer, rather than thinking of having a fertilizer factory that might be costly. We can go for organic because the raw materials are readily available and it is cheaper. It will not affect our soil by making it acidic. So, I want to support the Motion and say we should have a factory that is producing organic fertilizers to supply to our farmers on time. So, I would like to support the Motion.
I want to give hon. Wakhungu ten minutes. But if he is generous and wants to give a few hon. Members time, he can do so. But the list is too long. I do not know whether he is magnanimous. Hon. Chris Wakhungu, where are you?
Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. Indeed, I am very generous and I would like to donate a minute each to hon. (Dr.) Eseli, hon. Kisang from Marakwet West, hon. Shali, hon. Savula, the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Co-operatives and hon. Korir. Then, I will need a minute or so to respond.
Let us hear from those hon. Members in that order. So, each one of you will take a minute. Who is the first one? That is at the discretion of the Mover of the Motion. So, I do not know where you are. Hon. Shali, I do not see you on the screen. Dr. Eseli, you have the Floor.
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Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I wish to thank hon. Chris Wakhungu for donating this brief moment to me. I rise to support the Motion and point out a few things. The importation of fertilizer has been a very haphazard programme, which has mainly been implemented by what we would call businessmen who are up to make astronomical profits at the expense of the farmer. Those people actually make a lot of money from the Government by the subsidy that the Government gives. So, this kind of thing is not sustainable and we need to organize it in a better way as hon. Wakhungu has proposed in his Motion. The idea of unplanned importation of fertilizers without knowing which fertilizers are required where, and the country become flooded with DAP, I think that trend needs to be controlled. Hon. Wakhungu’s Motion is very timely and we need to look at it very carefully and start doing things with evidence.
Your minute is gone. Who was the next one? Was it hon. Kisang? Where is your request? Can you see him on the screen?
Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I want to rise and support this Motion. I want to take this opportunity to thank hon. Wakhungu for this Motion which is timely but long overdue. I am an ex-NCPB employee. I worked there 20 years ago. At that time, the mandate of NCPB was not to distribute fertilizer. I want to support the setting up of a fertilizer board for two or three reasons. One, it will help the farmers because we will have fertilizer on time and the prices will be affordable. I believe the price of fertilizer should not go beyond Kshs1, 500 as one of our colleagues has said. It will also create employment for our youth because we know that when we start a fertilizer factory, we will create opportunities for those who have skills in that field.
Yes, your minute is gone! Let us have the next hon. Member. Who is the next person? Please, Washiali, you had already spoken on this Motion. You cannot speak twice on a Motion. I am sure you are aware about that. It was hon. Korir. Have you made the request, hon. Korir?
Thank you so much for the chance. First of all, I support the Motion. I think this Motion by Chris Wakhungu comes at the right time and we need to act fast. I was in Cherengany recently and farmers were asking about the top-dressing fertilizer which is needed about this time and it is not there. I think by setting up an independent body to deal with the fertilizer importation, first of all, it takes away the liability. I think the reason why we have been having delays is because fertilizer comes in through NCPB and because NCPB has somebody who has gone to court to fleece its assets, farmers suffer from that. So, we have to act fast, get an independent body so that the liabilities of NCPB are not carried by fertilizer importation. The second thing the Ministry should do is to encourage farmers to form co- operative societies and use them to distribute fertilizer to the farmers. That will enable the fertilizer to reach the local farmers who have new farms and cannot acquire fertilizer quickly. That will also help farmers by protecting them from middlemen. I think farmers in this country have suffered enough for a long time and it is our duty as a country to protect them from those middlemen who come in and make profits.
Hon. Korir, I think your minute is over. Who was the last one? Hon. Savula, have you requested?
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Hon. Deputy Speaker, as the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives, I rise to support the Motion. As a Committee, we have noted the very sad affairs that are happening in this country. Fertilizer and Seed Fund has no allocation from the Treasury. What happens is that Executive orders are issued at the last minute to procure fertilizer and it delays.
It is very sad to note that CAN fertilizer that is supposed to be in the country for top-dressing this season is yet to arrive in the country. It will arrive between 10th June and 15th June. That will be too late or past the top-dressing season. So, this Motion will help the economy of this country to grow. Agriculture is the backbone of this economy.
Hon. Wakhungu, unless you want to give him another minute because he is the Chairman of that Committee, you will be left with only one minute. Mr. Chairman, you may finish your last sentence.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I have said that CAN fertilizer is arriving in this country between 10th and 15th June for distribution. That is way past the top- dressing season.
Actually, we are expecting a drop in food production this season.
The Mover, if you want to prosecute this matter further, you can come up with a Bill and we will discuss it.
Yes, Hon. Wakhungu!
Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I want to take this opportunity to thank all Members of Parliament who have supported this Motion overwhelmingly. Indeed, the Government has heard your request.
I would like to say that failure to plan is planning to fail. The Bill is in motion and I will forward it to the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives so that whatever we have discussed can be implemented.
I beg to move. Thank you.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion:-
THAT aware that according to statistics released by the Government of Kenya in July, 2012, cancer and renal diseases are currently the highest killer in the country with at least 22,000 cancer related deaths; concerned that kidney-related deaths in Kenya have reached 2,912 or 0.92 per cent per year of total deaths according to World Health Organization (WHO) data released in April, 2011; noting that there is limited access to cancer screening, treatment, and affordable dialysis at county levels; further aware that the Government received a Kshs522 billion grant from the French Government to establish cancer and renal
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On a point of order, hon. Deputy Speaker. I am just wondering whether we have quorum in the House.
We do not have a quorum. Ring the Division Bell.
Hon. Members we now have a quorum. The Mover of the Motion may now continue.
Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I was saying that at KNH, there is lack of manpower. We have only four specialists who can handle those machines. They are called “oncologists”. KNH has only one nuclear medicine personnel and there are 12 radiographers and radiotherapists. There is need to support and build capacity for effective operations. There is patient overload at KNH bearing in mind that it is the only hospital handling such cases and, sometimes, patients have to wait for about four months to get the next appointment. Hon. Deputy Speaker, with regard to kidney ailments, there are only 12 machines at KNH. It requires about 30 machines. Dialysis is very expensive. As you are all aware, the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) does not cover dialysis consumables. The Kenya Kidney Patient and Friends Association was established in 1994 with the aim of assisting kidney patients in Kenya. The Association has written several letters to the Government calling for aid. Currently, there are about 4,500 people who are diagnosed
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Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I want to take this opportunity to thank my good friend, hon. Gitari, for bringing this important Motion before the House. This Motion is very timely. I hope this House will pass it so that we can move forward. Cancer and renal diseases are increasing everyday in this country. Those diseases are becoming a major killer. This is due to our changing lifestyle. Therefore, as a country, we must seize of this problem and find solutions. About 80 per cent of cancer and renal diseases in this country are diagnosed too late for anything to be done about them. Therefore, as my colleague has proposed in this Motion, it is important that we establish proper equipment in each county, so that people can be screened early enough for remedial measures to be taken.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, as I said, cancer and renal diseases are lifestyle-related diseases. Therefore, we need to come up with a fully-fledged programme to educate our people on how to live decently in terms of lifestyle, the types of food we eat and how we carry ourselves around, so that we are not exposed to those very dangerous diseases. As the Mover has clearly stated, we have extremely limited facilities for treatment of cancer and renal diseases in this country. In fact, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) is the only well known public health institution that deals with those diseases. The rest of the country has no such facilities. So, if one is hit with either of those diseases in the countryside, one has to travel all the way to KNH.
Other medical facilities that have such facilities are privately-owned hospitals such as MP Shah Hospital and Aga Khan University Hospital. As we all know, those hospitals are very expensive. For example, chemotherapy is extremely expensive. Therefore, very few people can afford it. I guess that even some of us seated in this House may afford the procedure for only a short while. Thereafter, we may be forced to call for harambees . Therefore, it is important that this proposal is given top priority. Drugs for those diseases are also extremely expensive. Dialysis machines are not available in most of the public hospitals. The machines are available in only a few hospitals. So, the proposal that the grant that has been received from the French Government should be used for the establishment of those facilities in each of the counties is laudable.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, apart from making those facilities available at the county- level, it is extremely important to note that we have very few people who are trained on how to deal with cancer and renal diseases. I am informed that in this country, we have
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Yes, hon. Helen Chepkwony.
Thank you very much, hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the Motion.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, many people in this country die of cancer and renal diseases because they cannot afford treatment for those diseases. My family is a victim of one of those diseases and, therefore, I strongly support this Motion to facilitate early diagnosis of those diseases, so that treatment can start at the early stages.
The Ministry of Health is trying to help women, especially in respect of cervical cancer, by encouraging early diagnosis, so that the disease can be treated at its early stages. However, the programme does not cover the whole country. Therefore, not everybody has been screened. One has to be screened for all types of cancer. We cannot deal with only one type of cancer, namely, cervical cancer for women and leave out other types like throat cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, brain cancer, among other types of cancer.
Therefore, I would like the Ministry concerned to make sure that in every year, they set aside some money for dialysis machines and cancer equipment. The machines should then be taken to the county-level medical facilities so that patients can access services at various centres.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, it is a pity that 50 years after Independence, we have only four specialists in Kenya, when the Ministry of Health trains medical personnel every year. Where are the specialists being trained by the Ministry going? There is so much brain-drain of specialists from Kenya to other countries because our Government underpays them. The Jubilee Government has pledged to improve health services in this
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Is hon. John Waluke Koyi in the House? If he is not in, then let us have hon. Daniel Sitati. Hon. Members are resorting to interesting tricks like leaving their microphones on when they are not in the House.
Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this Motion with a lot of passion. One of the fundamental issues that our forefathers, who struggled for Independence wanted to tackle was better health for the Kenyan citizens. It is important for this Jubilee Government to take this into consideration, because there are quite a number of people, particularly in the rural areas, who cannot access this facility; this is particularly so with men who suffer from prostate cancer. The facilities at the local hospitals are not available and, as the Motion says, the only place that this can be found is at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). It is, therefore, important that the grant given by the French Government should go to all the counties in this country, and they should be able to get a referral hospital to deal with this issue. If this does not happen, given the numbers that have been estimated as suffering from these diseases, what we are looking for in terms of Vision 2030 may not be attained due to lack of human resources. It will only be attained if we have human resources. The specialists attending to these issues are very scarce; just as other hon. Members have mentioned, the Government should actually pull up its socks in terms of remuneration to this specific department. Our doctors should be well paid, so that we can remain with them for them to take care of our people suffering from this ailment. It is important that after apportionment of these funds they go to the specific counties. With immediate effect, the Government should take care of our people, so that we may have a very healthy nation.
I support. Thank you.
I want to give the opportunity to hon. Anyango, who has an amendment.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. I wish to support this Motion because it is so important; it is actually urgent but I support it with an amendment to delete from the Motion the words “further aware that the Government received Kshs522 billion grant from the French Government to establish cancer and renal centres with well equipped facilities.”
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am aware we have not received such a huge sum of money from the French Government. I am also aware that we are negotiating not even with the French Government but with a private French foundation to see if they could be supportive of our cancer centre development policies in the country. Even the figure of Kshs522 billion would be on a very long term basis. So, I suspect the Mover received this
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Hon. Deputy Speaker, I second.
Do we have some contribution to this amendment before we continue with the main Motion?
Put the Question.
Some of you are saying that I put the Question?
Yes, hon. Deputy Speaker.
Okay, I will then put the Question.
On a point of order, hon. Deputy Speaker.
I now see a point of order by hon. Gikaria. Are you on a point of order or do you want to contribute?
Hon
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This is an issue of concern and I am informed that the hon. Member was informed that there may have been some inaccuracies. I hope you are also aware of Standing Order No.91, which clearly states that an hon. Member shall be responsible for the accuracy of any facts which the Member alleges to be true, and may be required to substantiate any such facts instantly. So, I think what hon. Anyango has done has saved us from holding the hon. Member responsible for facts which have been said not to be factual. If we have deleted it, we shall leave the matter to rest there, since it is no longer in our records. So, let us move on with the Motion minus the facts we have been told are not factual or true.
We shall then move on to other hon. Members. There are too many points of order. Hon. Dawood, is it a point of order or do you want to contribute?
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I want to contribute as well as raise a point of order, because we are supposed to be in another Committee meeting dealing with finance.
I am sorry I cannot allow you to do both. Can I hear your point of order?
On a point of order, hon. Deputy Speaker. We can equip all hospitals but without personnel to run them---
That is not a point of order!
Asante sana Mhe. Naibu Spika kwa kunipatia hii nafasi. Namshukuru Mhe. Gitari kwa kuleta hii Hoja Bungeni kwa sababu ugonjwa wa saratani umeangamiza watu wengi nchini Kenya. Vile vile ni kwamba watu wengi wanaoishi vijijini, hasa kina mama, wanapata shida sana na ugonjwa wa saratani, na hawawezi kufikia matibabu. Hospitali nyingi za mkoa hazina vifaa kama hivyo na pia hawapati kuhamishwa kwa sababu ya ugonjwa huu. Wakati ambapo tunasherehekea mwaka wa Jubilee, kuna mambo mengi ambayo tumejaribu kupigana nayo hapa Kenya, mojawapo ikiwa ni magonjwa na ugonjwa huu wa saratani umekuwa hatari kubwa. Kwa hivyo, ni lazima Serikali ichukue hatua na kutilia maanani kama itawezekana kuwa na vifaa vya kupima saratani na kuuguza. Zaidi ya hayo ni heri tuwafahamishe watu katika kila kaunti kuhusiana na ugonjwa wa saratani; kina mama wafundishwe jinsi gani wanaweza kujichunguza wenyewe kabla hawajakumbwa na saratani ya matiti. Pia, tuwahamasishe watoto kwa sababu si wazee peke yao wanaopata. Hata akina mama wa makamu na watoto wanapata saratani. Kwa hivyo, itakuwa jambo la maana kama Serikali itaweza kuwa na vifaa katika kila mkoa ama kaunti ili tuweze kuupiga vita ugonjwa huu au kuchunguza. Sana sana nitakuwa nasimamia upande wa kina mama kwa sababu wanapata saratani ya kizazi; wengi wanakosa kupata watoto kwa sababu ya ugonjwa huu. Kwa hivyo, hili litakuwa ni jambo la maana. Kwa hayo machache, naunga mkono.
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Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I first want to thank hon. Gitari for this very timely Motion. Cancer is a killer disease and it should be declared a national disaster like Malaria and other diseases. Cancer, apart from being a killer disease, is very expensive to treat and before one realizes that they suffer from cancer, they suffer a lot simply because we do not have experts, medicine and equipment in place. Most patients waste a lot of money travelling even outside the country only for them to be told that they are suffering from cancer; this is because our hospitals do not have the facilities within this country to detect this kind of disease. It is high time the Government came up with a programme to put in place for this disease. I even disagree with the figure of 22,000. I know there are more deaths than that because most of the people who die of cancer have not been detected to have died of cancer. They do not even know that they are suffering from cancer. Some get to know it at the last point. I support this Motion and urge the Government to take serious action regarding cancer. We need to train our professionals to handle this disease. We need to have doctors who can detect diseases at an early stage. We also need to have medicine, which will be accessible to ordinary mwananchi. Initially diseases like cancer and kidney ailments were for the rich people, but you now realize that even the poorest of the poor suffer from these diseases. So, medicine has to be readily accessible and available for the poor mwananchi, who is suffering from this disease. With those few remarks, I beg to support.
Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this Motion. First of all, I would like to thank hon. Gitari for bringing this Motion in time. I would like to say that hon. Members of this august House are aware that most of the issues and problems we face from our constituents are related to diseases and hospital bills. Some of them are, indeed, related to the diseases we are talking about, cancer and renal problems because they are normally diagnosed very late. When you go down to our constituencies, these diseases are considered to be--- When one is diagnosed with cancer, it is as if that person is already dead, because treatment takes a life time. Patients have to undergo dialysis or probably kidney transplant. In the case of cancer treatment there is the issue of chemotherapy, which is normally a life time process. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, this Motion has been brought before this House in good time; as the Mover of the Motion proposes, we urge the Government to upgrade one hospital in every county and have it equipped with the necessary machines. I would also want to imagine that when we talk about counties--- We have 47 counties in the country, and you will realize that when you have a hospital in a county like Mandera, a number of people will be very far away from the hospitals which are probably situated at the county headquarters. I am proposing that, as we urge the Government to upgrade and equip hospitals at the county level; we also need to have hospitals upgraded even at the constituency level. By the time people reach to the counties for treatment, they will have received treatment in other hospitals which are within the constituencies. The other thing which I want to talk about is distance. For example, Lari Constituency, where I come from, has about 440 square kilometers; it is, of course, not very big compared to other constituencies. You will realize that you do not have a single
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Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion, as amended by hon. Anyango. I want to support this Motion; it is very surprising that in the 21st Century we are seeing a good number of Kenyans dying of some of the conditions that can be managed. It is very surprising that 22,000 Kenyans have died of cancer and another 2,912 people of diabetes. Most of these conditions, as has been said by some hon. Members, are actually preventable. Types of cancer like the cervical, breast, stomach, esophagus and others can actually be diagnosed early. There are some steps that can be taken, so that we do not lose lives unnecessarily. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I know the health seeking behavior of Kenya is somehow poor. I would like to take this opportunity to urge Kenyans to improve on health seeking behaviors so that they go to health facilities in good time so that these conditions can be diagnosed and patients get medicines as required. We are also supposed to improve on early education to the public so that the public is aware of some of the presentations that they see. This way, they can actually be able to identify problems in good time so that they can get assistance at an appropriate time; to avoid losing life unnecessarily. With regard to diabetes, I know most of the complications that I have seen in this country. I know these are some of the true conditions. Diabetes and hypertension contribute to kidney failure, or what is called renal failure in medical terms. I have seen patients suffering from diabetes in my constituency of Buret in Kericho County. These patients are taken to very far hospitals like Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret and some to Kenyatta National Hospital for dialysis. I know it is actually costly because a session of dialysis costs around Kshs5,000 plus cost of transportation; this makes it expensive. Dialysis is probably done on weekly basis. Most of these health complications can be prevented. What I can probably ask the Mover of this Motion as amended, hon. Gitari, is to urge the Government to procure and give patients some digital machines, which are available in the country, for example, machines for monitoring blood pressure and sugar level; one can use them at home to monitor the disease. We can actually curb most of these complications that destroy our kidneys.
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Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. Actually, this Motion is in line with the spirit, objectives and principles of devolution. Treatment of cancer, renal and kidney related diseases is directly proportional to the cost of living. At the moment, many people are suffering from kidney related diseases and the cost of treating them is very high; therefore, hon. Gitari has brought this Motion before this House at the right time. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support this Motion because dialysis is one of the most expensive procedures in disease management. Cancer is also the same. Therefore, I am supporting this Motion so that the necessary equipment is installed in dispensaries at the county and even constituency levels. Hospitals at the county level should be upgraded, so that they treat these diseases. In my constituency, Mwatate, people who are suffering from these diseases normally travel all the way to Nairobi for treatment, which is about 500 kilometers. At times they go to Tanzania for medical attention. Therefore, I am supporting this Motion and the Mover should move with speed, so that it is implemented. Thank you.
Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to support this very important Motion. I want, first of all, to congratulate hon. Gitari for bringing this Motion to this House. For those of us who have been in this Parliament for some time, there have been attempts, even by Parliament, to have this issue addressed but it has not been attended to by the Government. A few years back when the machines at Kenyatta National Hospital were not working for quite some time, the only place where patients would be attended to was Uganda. So, we are dealing with a very delicate situation. Even the machine that we are talking about at Kenyatta National Hospital cannot be relied on. So, it is very important that this issue is addressed very seriously. What hon. Gitari has proposed here is the responsibility of the Government; it should look for funds and have this proposal implemented. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have been talking about reforms, or changes in a number of areas. Some of the areas that have not been well attended to are those to do with health. I can see that we have done fairly well in some sectors. For example, the Constituencies Development Fund has worked very well. However, it did not address the issue that this Motion is urging action on. This is because this is a major issue which requires a lot of financial outlay.
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Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to support the Motion that has been brought to this House by hon. Gitari. It is timely and it is very important to all of us who are representatives of our people and also law makers.
This is a wake-up call, as the immediate speaker has said. The same thing is happening in other Ministries. It is high time that the Government made sure that we have structures and systems in all departments, which will ensure that the fundamental rights of our population, you and me included, are enjoyed. When our people are suffering, the country is suffering and we cannot move forward. A country with sick people, or people who are unable to work, cannot move forward.
Yesterday, we talked about fertilizer; we do not even have a manufacturing factory. Now, we are saying that we do not even have specialists who can treat cancer. We only have four specialists. Where did the rain start beating us? Is it that the institutions that train doctors cannot train this category of people who can treat people with these diseases? Is it that they train and after training the specialists are not paid well in Kenya and they decide to go for greener pastures?
It is high time Parliament woke up and assisted the State to ensure that the fundamental rights of our people, as stipulated in Article 21 of the Constitution of Kenya, are observed. Article 43 also guarantees the rights of everybody. Hon. Gitari has moved a good Motion and we should support him all of us. We must ensure that our population accesses the medical facilities. This Motion has awakened me. I now remember the many functions I have attended donating money to patients to go to India for transplants. There are people who come to the KNH, but they die because they do not get treatment. We need to act fast. Our Committee in charge of health needs to ensure that we start training specialists needed to treat cancer and renal diseases in our country. We have to be ready. With or without the grant, it is the duty of the Government of Kenya to ensure that Kenyans access medical services. We need public awareness also, so that people are sensitized on the benefits of screening for cancer. We cannot talk, however, of public awareness when the people who are supposed to treat the disease are not there. We will not be working. We need to go back to the drawing board and put in place systems and structures to ensure that we stand on our feet. I support the Motion and ask the whole House to do so.
Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I wish to thank hon. Gitari for this very important Motion. I notice that had hon. Gitari not brought this Motion some of us would have done so; we support this Motion passionately. Our people are dying from cancer and renal diseases in large numbers. The adage that prevention is better than cure should apply in this case. However, we notice that it is not likely to happen very soon. The question we legislators should be asking is: What are the causes of these two diseases? Why are they killing our people so easily? Why are they killing so many people within a period of ten to 15 years? I come from Saku in Marsabit County. Currently, cancer is the main cause of deaths for people between the age of 35 years and 55 years. The mortality rate is such that between two and four people die every week. There is nothing in Marsabit Hospital, and so people are referred to Meru Hospital. There are no diagnostic units in Meru. They are, therefore, moved to KNH. What normally happens is that since many of these cases
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Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir---
On a point of order, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I just wanted to know if we have the quorum to proceed with the sitting. Given that this is a House of order, we need to have the numbers. I have observed that we do not have a quorum.
Hon. Members, from the look of things there is no quorum. I order the Division Bell to be rung for ten minutes. As we do that, hon. Members who are inside here, unless you are a Whip you are actually supposed to stay in.
Order! Order, hon. Members! It is against the rules of this House to walk out as the Quorum Bill rings.
Order! Order!
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