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"id": 305298,
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"content": "uses of this plant are specifically beneficial to the economy of the people of the Coast because this tree needs certain climatic conditions for it to be able to breed, grow and reproduce. It needs the kind of climatic conditions that are specifically found in the Coast region. Therefore, in bringing this Bill, what it will be doing is that we will be creating the first statutory body that will help grow the economy of the Coast region. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, if you go to countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and other eastern countries they have been able to do a lot of research. They have been able to generate huge economies around the coconut tree. The climatic conditions which are found in those areas are very similar to the conditions that are found along the Coast Province. When KCDA tells us that they are able, with an investment from the Government of at least Kshs1 billion to generate potentially Kshs23 billion, we are talking about big money. From Kwale County all the way along the Coast to Tana River and all the way to Lamu County, this tree grows and many people have been exploiting it but just in a local way. If this tree is properly exploited, we can be able to help lift the lifestyle of the people in the area. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, lately, there has been a lot of talk about the marginalization of the coastal area. Mere talk, belligerence and demonstrations will not solve the problems that the people have in that region. The people have potential in tourism and agriculture. The problem that has been there, which continues to exist to date, is lack of political commitment by successive governments to invest in the coastal economy. In fact, if you look around, you will see that apart from tourism, where the Government put up facilities a long time ago, but which have since been sold off; there has not been serious investment in the economy of the coastal region, save for the sea port. The investment in the cashew nut industry that used to exist in the region collapsed. It was cannibalised and it died. The bixa industry also died. The coconut tree, which has not been exploited to its full potential, is the only industry that can resolve all the issues that have been affecting that region. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, just to make a clearer understanding of what this plant can do, copra, which is the flesh that develops inside the coconut fruit, can be used for oil production. The oil industry can benefit a lot. Nowadays people are health conscious. They want to use oil that is for cooking and other body uses. There is demand for organic oil. We have been told that if we develop the coconut oil industry in the coast, apart from the jobs that it will create and the other investments that it will attract, it will save this country a lot of money, in foreign exchange, which would have been used to import things. We have statistics from the Coconut Authority itself, which show that we can save up to the equivalent of Kshs835 million, if we invest in this industry appropriately. The water inside the coconut itself can be used as a health drink. It has been used in the Eastern countries not only as refreshment but also as healing water since it has medicinal values. The healing and medicinal value that is found in the coconut water is a whole industry in India. I have personally used it. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, if you crash the coconut and dry those things nicely, if you drink it when you have stomach ache, the problem disappears. If you have a bloated stomach problem, it will also disappear. Apart from that, there are several other"
}