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{
    "id": 1181013,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1181013/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 53,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kibwana",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 277,
        "legal_name": "Kibwana Kivutha",
        "slug": "kibwana-kivutha"
    },
    "content": "Sorry, I meant Standing Order 52(1). Kindly give me a minute. I forgot my ‘eyes’ so I cannot see. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order 52 (1) to make a Statement on an issue of countrywide concern regarding the uprooting of baobab trees from Kilifi County for transplanting in the United States. According to the Global Forest Watch, Kenya had 3.18 million hectares of natural forest, extending over 5.7 per cent of its land area in 2010. In 2021, it lost 7.23 Kilo hectare of natural forest, equivalent to 3.23 Metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Reports show that 6 regions were responsible for 52 per cent of all tree cover loss between 2001 and 2021. Narok County had the most tree cover loss at 73.1 Kilo hectare compared to an average of 7.84 Kilo hectare. The Kilifi region had the third-highest rate of tree-cover loss in Kenya over the last two decades, at a rate of more than three times the national average. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the baobab tree is a deciduous tree which sequesters the most carbon of all other trees; the older they are, the more carbon they sequester. Baobabs are the best agents for reversing climate change as well as providing water to all sorts of animals during droughts as it stores tons of water. Its bark is mostly water and fibre and cannot be used for timber. The fruit, leaves and bark of the tree are nutritious and can be economically beneficial to the communities and counties where they grow and so a potential source of own source income for the Kilifi County Government. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Baobab fruit is globally recognized as a super fruit because of its unmatched nutrient density. If properly processed and distributed, it can eradicate the malnutrition experienced by infants across the nation and fortify our grains and other foods. The socio-economic benefits of this precious tree are endless. It is also known as \"The Tree of Life\" because it offers a broad range of economic and health benefits, from clothing and medicines, non-wood-forestry products and raw materials for several products. The baobab tree must be protected and farmers in the area shown how to utilize it for it benefits so that they will be the frontline protectors of the tree. The economic benefits of baobabs are not apparent to many people in Kilifi. The tree takes up to two decades to produce its first fruit so farmers, in ignorance, are accepting to fell the trees for small sums of money to create space for maize and other crops. Farmers can make more money in the long run by selling baobab products instead of the trees. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the trees have lately been gaining international appeal. Recent reports on the felling and exporting of these trees need to be interrogated as the government has the discretion to approve or reject felling requests. In this regard, we need legislative"
}