Nakuru County Government is partnering with Israel in various key sectors, a move aimed at promoting trade and investment opportunities and increasing agricultural exports.
Speaking after holding deliberations with a delegation from Israel, Deputy Governor Mr David Kones said the collaboration between the County Government of Nakuru and Israel was further targeted at boosting water technology, agriculture, health among other sectors.
Mr Kones encouraged the Israel government to venture into ecotourism and other sectors in the county with the aim of improving the collaboration.
The Deputy Governor highlighted additional opportunities for collaboration, particularly in empowering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and training women and youth in Information Communication Technology saying the country had technological challenges in implementing some projects.
He said that the expertise from Israel would help the devolved unit achieve the much-desired goals in addition to empowering the local communities.
Mr Kones said cordial relationship between Nakuru and the Israel Government will also see the county get value addition factories and advance its agriculture technology and invited more Israel investors to establish more value addition factories in the County.
“The core of our relationship is expanding opportunities for economic growth and creating jobs for the youth,” the deputy governor observed.
Mr Kones at the same time challenged farmers to move from subsistence farming and penetrate the high value export market, besides joining cooperatives to access services and market their produce.
Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to Kenya Ms. Ariel Arviv stated that the Israeli Government was committed to assisting Nakuru County in reducing child malnutrition and providing technical teams to support agriculture and the school feeding program and also partner with students in Nakuru to help them implement agricultural projects.
While acknowledging that Kenya was a vibrant economy and critical trade partner with Israel, the envoy assured that her government will promote investment opportunities available in Nakuru especially in agriculture and partner in mobilizing Israel firms’ investments in the region.
Nakuru is banking on direct sales of its farm produce to foreign markets and value addition to boost her revenue base as one of the leading producers of potatoes, milk, cut flowers, vegetables, avocados and other crops.
Kenya is Israel’s fourth largest trade partner in sub-Saharan Africa, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.
By Esther Mwangi
