Members of Parliament have rejected the proposal to impose new levy on the mung bean popularly known as ndengu.
The National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon rejected the Mung Bill, 2022 by a majority at the second reading which is the first opportunity for MPs to debate the main principles of the Bill.
The Bill that seeks to regulate the production, processing and marketing of mung beans in Kenya will now proceed to mediation.
The regulations had sought to impose a fine of not exceeding Sh1 million to any person who markets, processes, or carries out large-scale trading in mung beans or its products without a license.
It proposes a framework for the implementation of national policies on the development and regulation of the mung bean industry.
The Bill bars the sale of ndengu, without obtaining a license from an individual's county government.
Contravening the aforesaid provision was to be considered as committing an offence and anyone will be liable to pay the fine or face an imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.
Likewise, the Bill dictates that the licenses shall be issued by appointed County Executive Committees (CECs) consisting of a chairperson, one person representing growers of mung beans in the respective county and 3 public officers in the agriculture department.
Every member shall also be required to maintain a register of all mung bean growers registered in the respective county specifying; the name of the grower, the location, size and parcel number of the land on which the mung bean is grown and the variety of mung bean grown.
Each county is however given the liberty to determine the criteria for the registration of a grower operating in their county.
The Livestock Bill and the Mung Bean Bill that had proposed the registration of farmers, faced resistance from many small-scale farmers during the public participation stage.
In August, the National Assembly also withdrew the Livestock Bill 2024, “to enable the State Department of Livestock conduct comprehensive public participation on the Bill.
A rejection at the second reading signifies the end, however, the Bill may be reintroduced after six months but with significant changes or reconsideration by its sponsors to address the issues that led to its rejection.