Rift Valley governors forge deals with US investors

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) walks with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta (C) after signing a guest book upon arriving aboard Air Force One at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi July 24, 2015.

As Kenya receives US President Barack Obama who landed in the country yesterday, governors from Rift Valley are back from a recent two-week trip to America where they struck development deals.

The governors have been in the US courtesy of an invitation from Kenyans from the region living there under their association Gotabgaa, who organised meetings between the county chiefs and investors.

Among the deals struck are in the areas of health, agriculture, renewable energy and athletics where the governors signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with US companies and institutions keen on forging partnerships with the counties.

The governors who arrived this week from the US trip include Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo Marakwet), Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu), Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Joshua Chepkwony (Kericho), Benjamin Cheboi (Baringo) and Simon Kachapin (West Pokot).

The North Rift governors termed the visit as successful, coming ahead of the US President’s historic visit to Kenya to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

“We were able to hold meaningful talks with the US companies and institutions that led to MoUs that starts our mutual development engagements,” said Tolgos.

The governors signed MoUs with Amherst Technologies in the US, who have agreed to set up medical and agricultural laboratories in the various counties. The laboratories will help the counties in curbing human, livestock and plant diseases and pests.

They also entered into MoUs with Energy One Corporation for the establishment of renewable energy in the respective counties.

The MoUs were facilitated by the Director of US-Africa Office of International Trade, Dr Frank Forka, who lauded the move by the governors to seek development partnership with the US.

“For a developing nation like Kenya coming to seek best practices from the US shows the aggressive ambition by these leaders to take their country forward by learning from the best,” he said.