Uasin gishu: The County Government of Uasin Gishu has embarked on a training initiative to educate selected officers from various departments on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to enhance data-driven planning, decision-making, and service delivery.
According to Kenya News Agency, the programme was facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Council of Governors (CoG), under the European Union-FAO-funded Digital Land Governance Programme (DLGP). It brought together officers from the physical planning, ICT, health, agriculture, roads, water, environment, and communication departments. These officers, designated as GIS Sector Champions, are expected to advocate for the adoption of geospatial technologies within their departments and ensure that the training translates into practical applications.
During the three-day training at Ardhi House, Eldoret, County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Lands, Physical Planning, Housing, and Urban Development, Edward Sawe, emphasized that the training would strengthen the county’s capacity to use technology and reliable data in planning and implementation of development programmes. Sawe noted that GIS provides accurate and timely information that helps the county make better decisions, plan more effectively, and allocate resources efficiently, especially as Uasin Gishu experiences rapid growth.
Sawe further stressed the importance of inter-departmental collaboration to maximize the benefits of GIS. He highlighted the goal of moving away from isolated departmental systems and creating a common platform for sharing information and supporting coordinated development.
Charles Kimani, Director of Physical Planning and the training focal person, stated that the initiative would enhance the county’s ability to integrate spatial information into development planning. Kimani remarked that modern planning relies on accurate spatial information, which GIS provides, enabling the understanding of on-ground realities, identification of development trends, and making evidence-based decisions.
Kimani also pointed out that the GIS Sector Champions would be pivotal in promoting the routine use of geospatial information for analyzing challenges, planning interventions, and monitoring development projects. The integration of GIS is anticipated to support infrastructure planning, land-use management, environmental conservation, agricultural planning, public health interventions, road development, and the monitoring of county projects.
