Counties Reap from President Kenyatta US Visit

The country has began reaping benefits from President Uhuru's August visit to the United States, where he held bilateral talks with his counterpart Donald Trump.

As a result, three Kenyan counties - Murang’a, Tharaka-Nithi and Kisii -have received water purifying equipment worth Sh15 million from a US non-governmental organization.

Speaking after receiving the machines on behalf of Murang'a, Senator Irungu Kang’ata said the donations were part of goodies Kenyatta negotiated for the country during the meeting with Trump and American business leaders.

Irungu, who is representing the Senate in the ongoing US chapter of the Chamber of Commerce in Dallas, Texas, said the filtering machines have the ability to purify dirty water including sewage effluent and salty water. The Senator is accompanied Governors Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka-Nithi) and James Ongwae (Kisii). 

“The water filtering technology machines were donated by an American NGO, Water to the World, and may be used in areas with cases of cholera outbreak and floods. It (machine) will be very helpful to Murang’a people as I will give it to the Murang’a County government to make use of it,” Senator Kang’ata told Daily Nation.

“On behalf of Murang’a, I wish to thank the government of the United States of America for this donation as it will go a long way in alleviating water problems and in particular its ability to convert the dirtiest water into the cleanest through the high technology fitted into it and its low maintenance costs,” he said.

At the Dallas meeting, Senator Kang’ata urged US investors to take advantage of opportunities created by the African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa), which was lobbied by President Kenyatta, and put their money in Kenya.

“I urged the American traders to come to Murang’a County, the single largest source of avocados exported to America, and buy the product directly from the farmers."

“We need more players in the avocado sector to gain a competitive business and as a result prices will go up because, currently, only two companies buy the commodity which is grown by organic farming,” he said.