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"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Zani",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion. I congratulate Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo for bringing the Motion to the House because it touches on the economy of our country, the young people and historical injustices, if I may say, in the way we have handled our economy. The reason many people in the counties are keen on devolution is because they are living below the poverty line. One of the areas where you can push down peoples’ levels of poverty and improve their standards of living is to enable them earn an income. Most counties are endowed with one resource or another, but we have mismanaged these resources. This is quite unfortunate. In the 1960s and 1970s, we saw a model of how these industries would work and, therefore, we are not talking from an empty template; we are talking from reality where we know industries can work because in the history and development of this country, they have worked. In Kwale County, for example, Ramisi Sugar Company (RSC) was able to keep people who grew sugar cane in employment. This is an area where sugar cane can be grown and processed. It is an area that can produce sugar both for local consumption and for export to the advantage of the people of Kwale County. When we think about the coast region in general, the cashew nut industry is another industry that has just been left to die. From cashew nut farming, it was possible to manufacture various products. The industries, for example, even for processing mangoes that were there many years ago have all disappeared and are depleted in most of these specific regions. The reality is that counties will continue to be poor. This Motion is very timely. We urge that those specific counties look at their potential and try to revive those industries appropriately to ensure that counties move forward. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, at the Coast, most people rely on the coconut tree. From that tree, people would have a livelihood; be it in preparing makuti for the roofs or other products such as the mats which they would sell to tourists and hotels and they would make some money out of it. What is so hurting is to find an impoverished community that has the resources, but has leaders who have failed in ensuring that industries are managed. Just because people are greedy, some people have taken it upon themselves that if they know that they are going to procure, they are going to have deals or they are going to have sugar coming in from abroad, then they are happy to do that so that those industries are killed and, at the end of the day, they are the ones who gain and continue with what is happening. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, recently, there have been serious conflicts in Kilifi, and I think you have seen this. The old men are worried and scared that, at any moment, The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}