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Four Envoys Visit Uasin Gishu County, Express Interest In More Partnership Areas
Uasin Gishu County on Thursday played host to a delegation of four ambassadors who are visiting, among others, to experience the impact of devolution to the people and progress of some of the initiatives their respective states are funding.
They were Finish ambassador to Kenya, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian counterparts.
The ambassadors paid a visit to the office of Governor Jackson Mandago, EGH, and discussed a number of issues and possible areas of partnership.
Four Envoys Visit Uasin Gishu County, Express Interest In More Partnership Areas. Photo Courtesy
Addressing the media at the County Headquarters in Eldoret, together with the envoys, Governor Mandago expressed gratitude for the support that the four states have offered to a number of projects not only in the county but across other devolved units in the country.
He named support to farmers in dairy, poultry, and passion farming as some of the areas that have seen a positive transformation.
“Sweden has supported us for environmental and solid waste management as well as the relationship we have built over time at the Moi University School of Health Sciences,” Mandago said.
“The Danish government has also supported the dairy sector and we are happy that we have had a serious partnership in many areas. I want to assure you of our commitment as a county and Council of Governors to make sure the programs you are supporting create a huge impact to the locals and other targeted groups,” he added.
Four Envoys Visit Uasin Gishu County, Express Interest In More Partnership Areas. Photo Courtesy
Norway Ambassador to Kenya Ms. Elin Bergithe Rognlie, said their visit was to learn and listen from the locals and the leadership apart from checking on the progress of the programs they are supporting.
“We’re all supporting devolution and we’re here to see how it works,” she said.
During the meeting, the Norwegian envoy further said they discussed how to engage youths in education and also gender issues as well as women in peace and security.
Ms. Caroline Vicini, Ambassador of Sweden to Kenya on her part said Uasin Gishu has a lot of potential in sports and tourism.
“The idea of sports tourism is something that can be developed,” she said.
Denmark Ambassador, Ole Thonke, named climate change, green world, and agribusiness especially in value addition as some of the areas of a potential partnership.
Finland Ambassador Erik Lundeberg, said the country’s young population can be a strength, especially at this period that countries are putting in place post-Covid-19 strategies.
“You have a very young population and hopefully coming out of this pandemic, it will be a strength that we need to take advantage of and empower them – and education is a key factor.”
“We talked about exploiting possibilities of partnering in TVET that will be an excellent area,” Lundeberg said.
The ambassadors also had dinner with four female journalists representatives in the North rift region where they discussed experiences and challenges female journalists encounter in this region perspectives on the situation of women in this region with regard to their participation in politics, gender equality in general, peace and security, civic engagement and human rights, sexual and health reproductive rights such as freedom from harmful practices, access to family planning services, maternal health related to the broader theme of women’s rights and the rights of youth and marginalized groups.
Four Envoys Visit Uasin Gishu County, Express Interest In More Partnership Areas. Photo Courtesy
Among the female journalists who got the rare opportunity was the Merck Foundation Kenyan ambassador and multi-award-winning multimedia journalist Mercy Tyra Murengu who is also an alumni of the Women in a news organization, which is supported by the Norwegian ministry of foreign affairs.
The Ambassadors were accompanied by Ms. Minna Højland, Team Leader, Governance & Health, Embassy of Denmark. Ms. Anu Ala-Rantala, Head of Cooperation/Counselor, Embassy of Finland, Ms. Gjertrud Fosdal, Second Secretary, Embassy of Norway, and Mr Erik Sedig, Political and Trade Policy Officer, Embassy of Sweden.
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