Two coast governors have formed an alliance that will see their counties enhance environment and heritage conservation among other spheres of development.
Mombasa governor Hassan Joho and his Taita-Taveta counterpart Granton Samboja have agreed on the need for the two to come together so as to help each other in building up and nurturing research and development through joint training and technology transfer.
In a memorandum of understanding (MOU) the two executives pledged to jointly establish opportunities for education and training on blue economy as well as staff exchange.
“The parties undertake to expand their relationship by establishing opportunities for education and training as well as staff exchange and collaboration through training programs and workshops. The two governments aspire to involve local and inter county community engagement in their environmental and heritage conservation and management through community engagement activities,” reads part of the MoU.
In the said MoU that was signed by Joho and Samboja on Saturday at Mwakishimba primary school in Wundanyi and seen by KNA, the two counties will also collaborate to jointly conserve and restore common environmental heritage.
“The two governments will jointly engage in the conservation of forests and their eco-systems, conservation of marine life and conservation of flora and fauna in bio diversity hot-spots and for medicinal purposes,” said the MoU.
At the same time, the MoU states the two governments have agreed to develop and intensify mutually beneficial cooperation in environmental conservation.
“The formation of joint programs, increasing current efforts geared towards maintaining and sustaining the attributes of our common natural and urban environments as pertains to their contribution to the physical and mental well-being of their populations with particular emphasis on co-operation for mutual development leading to increased insights and innovation capacity,” said the MoU.
The MoU further said the two governments will jointly promote development of software and hardware and inviting innovators and technology developers to facilitate commercialization of technologies and products thus developed.
“The two governments will jointly conduct workshops and seminars towards development and IT, enable technology development and technology transfer in complementary technologies,” reflected the understanding.
The sharing knowledge and funding methods both parties are to support innovation and business, stated the MoU.
“It will be of mutual added value to promote and highlight each other’s eco-climate to relevant startups. Startups are often not aware of potential markets or facilitation available in the international context.
By highlighting the eco-climate of each other’s startup scene, startups will get better insights on what is internationally possible and a better overview of international potential,” added the MoU.
Governor Samboja hailed the partnership saying that this kind of agreement between the two devolved units was aimed at promoting business.
“I am happy that through this agreement, our horticultural farmers can now establish stalls at Kongowea market in Mombasa to do business.”
“Local farmers have been complaining that a store to keep horticultural products had been repossessed by the Mombasa County Government and allocated to other businessmen. But now that is a thing of the past after today.” declared a happy governor Samboja.
On his part, the Mombasa county boss said under the MoU, youth in the region will be trained on the blue economy so as to engage in maritime industry.
Joho confirmed that his government would allocate the local business people stalls in Mombasa where they could sell their wares for instance bananas.
“I am pleased beyond words that my brother Samboja has agreed that my people were welcome to do ranching that would enable farmers to easily sell their livestock to the lucrative market in Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates,” said Governor Joho.
Taita Taveta County has over 30 ranches that have been declared as disease free zone whose potential is yet to be realized.
By Fatuma Jumeah
