Vihiga: The Vihiga County Government has inked a deal with the Government of India in a new partnership targeting projects in health, education, skills training, and agriculture. This was affirmed in a meeting that took place at the county offices in Mbale, led by county leaders and the High Commissioner of India to Kenya, Dr. Adarsh Swaika. The meeting follows a similar engagement with the High Commissioner to Japan.
According to Kenya News Agency, Governor Dr. Wilber Ottichilo welcomed the Indian delegation, highlighting the long-standing friendship between Kenya and India. He mentioned that the first Indian community settled in Vihiga’s Rwandan village as early as 1902. The Governor emphasized that the county is transitioning from discussions to the implementation of projects under this partnership.
Dr. Ottichilo expressed gratitude to Commissioner Swaika for facilitating connections with Indian institutions. He noted that Vihiga County staff would have opportunities for short courses and degree programs in India, with County Officer Washington Orlando having already benefited from training on satellite data usage.
An MOU has been signed between Vignan University in India and Kaimosi Friends University and Kaimosi National Polytechnic for student and staff exchanges. The Governor hopes to emulate India’s organized buffalo farming model from production to marketing.
High Commissioner Dr. Swaika expressed India’s eagerness to strengthen ties with Vihiga and introduced his team members, Rishabh and Sudeep Kulasai. Deputy Governor Wilberforce Kitiezo highlighted the importance of such partnerships for service delivery in health and education, given Vihiga’s strategic location within the Lake Region Economic Block.
County Executive for Health Dr. Nicholas Kitungulu revealed plans for an equipment maintenance and calibration center to address the frequent breakdown of medical machines. He also mentioned efforts to adopt telemedicine to connect patients with doctors from Nairobi, India, or the United States.
In education, the County Executive reported that 30 individuals had applied for scholarships under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation program, with two approvals so far. There is also interest in equipping vocational training and ECD centers with modern tools.
On the agricultural front, Velocity Project Management Program Coordinator Hari Murthy stated that the partnership includes dairy and smart farming initiatives. He announced upcoming visits from the Andhra Pradesh Medical Technology Zone and EPCMD delegations to Vihiga.
Following the meeting, the delegation toured various sites, including Gimomoi Vocational Training Centre, Magaka ECD Center, and Vihiga Teaching and Referral Hospital, to evaluate locations for the new projects.
