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{
    "id": 305331,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/305331/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 309,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mrs. Noor",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 375,
        "legal_name": "Sophia Abdi Noor",
        "slug": "sophia-noor"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. From the outset, I want to support the Bill. I want also to thank and congratulate hon. Danson Mungatana. I want to start from where my brother hon. Fahim Twaha left. I want to speak on the kind of fears he has. I think we have ample time to address them. We know land reforms are going on in coast region. We have the National Land Commission (NLC) on board who are looking into all our issues of land. It is not only in coast, but all over the country. We have been facing land issues and land problems in this country for many years. With regard to the issues of coconut farmers, I think the fundamental principle or objective of this Bill is to support and protect them. At the Committee Stage, I will be bringing amendments which will uphold and protect issues of farmer. The farmer is the key in whole industry. So, it is imperative that we bring him on board so that he is not marginalised. Personally, I like this Bill because it addresses so many issues. For example, one of the objectives of the Bill is to provide legal framework for promotion and regulation of the production, marketing and research for coconut. Coconut is an industry that has been left out and forgotten for many years. It is a crop that can really open up the whole of Coast Province. It can create job opportunities for many of our youths who are suffering waiting to be absorbed in the formal employment. If we develop and promote this industry, our youth will be employed because we will have many industries all over the region. So, it will ease the burden on the Government of not being able to provide job opportunities to our youngsters. This Bill will also increase households’ incomes to many families. Currently, we know coconut farmers cannot access proper markets because the industry is not fully developed. Once it is developed, promoted and marketed all over, then that mother who tills all day on the farm will be able to increase her household income. Once she increases household income, then the nutritional status of the family will be improved. The people of the coast who do not get proper nutrition today will be able to get extra income that will be able to address the nutrition status of their families. It will also improve the infrastructure that will connect from one farm to the other and to the industry. This will open up the region and give an opportunity for the region to develop. The other thing that this Bill is addressing is the establishment of an authority which will oversight and look into all issues of the coconut industry. It will market the industry and coconut in general. It will also advise the Government on what to do because they understand the value of coconut in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other important thing is that the authority will monitor import and export of coconut in this country. Today, nobody is monitoring the movement of coconut in this country. Our supermarkets sell coconut products from all over the world. We have coconut coming all the way from India and many other countries. We Kenyans buy those products when our farmers cannot get access to markets. They are there. They have grown the coconut. They have been putting a lot of their energy into coconut farming for the last 30 years to 40 years. They have good farms, but unfortunately there is no organ that is promoting and marketing their products. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are talking about acute unemployment in this country. We are talking about lack of resources and development in this country. We cannot develop our own industries if we do not promote our own indigenous products"
}