Residents from the coast region have been urged to shift from entirely depending on tourism economy that is increasingly becoming unreliable due to seasonal changes.
They have been urged to venture into new economic arenas, especially promoting the readily available coconut products that have the potential to revive trade and industry in the region.
Speaking while welcoming the coconut festival in Malindi, Paul Kimani, a Malindi-based investor and doctor challenged the residents to embrace and promote the coconut tree. He noted that the economic potential of the coconut tree is tremendous.
Kimani said on Thursday that the coconut festival that will take place on Friday is set for the locals to showcase their products and demonstrate to the world the potentials the coconut tree has to the economy.
He said, “we want to encourage the locals that Malindi economy is not that dead. This festival will communicate something to the economic potentials. It will gather local and foreign visitors who will want to see what the coconut tree has in store,” adding, “let the locals give this a try, and we believe the impact will be remarkable.”
Kimani added that locals from the coast region are hardest hit whenever tourism gets low, leading to businesses crippling.
“Our concept is to mobilize locals to diversify from the traditional tourism economy that has of late failed to bail out the ordinary citizen from poverty,” he added.
According to Kimani, the coconut exhibition is geared towards empowering the youths, culture, and art, out of which Kimani hopes is going to be revived among residents.
On his part, Benjamin Nzioka, a resident of Malindi, termed the coconut tree as a tree of life, adding that its products are useful in diverse ways.
“coconut products can be used to produce food flavour, wine, oil, and building materials, and other uses such as reusing coconut husks that have not been well-realized," noted Nzioka.
Kimani urged the government and other investors to partner in marketing Kilifi County and coast region as an event, art, culture, and music destination to provide youth employment, hope, and platform to showcase their capabilities.
The coconut exhibition will see local artistes including comedian Eric Omondi, singer Willy Paul, and Tanzanian-based Nandy grace the event on Friday.
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