Chinese envoy in Kenya pledges support for Kenya’s arid county

Published: September 14,2024

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian on Tuesday said during a visit to the northwestern Kenyan county of Turkana that China would work to strengthen partnerships with devolved units as part of reinforcing the Sino-Kenyan cooperation.

Zhou stated that China is open to supporting Kenya’s devolved units in implementing priority projects. “We appreciate the friendship between China and Kenya through the government-to-government cooperation. We wish to do more to deepen the relationship, and there is huge potential for sub-national cooperation,” Zhou said. Zhou also pledged to work with Turkana County to attract Chinese private sector investments, adding that his visit to northwestern Kenya was an eye-opener since the region had massive potential for development.  

Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai welcomed Zhou’s commitment to supporting the county and called for China’s support in innovative technology to address water perennial scarcity. Lomorukaipointed at investment opportunities in value addition of livestock products, including developing tanneries and abattoirs, adding that with Turkana’s huge livestock population, there was a huge potential for exporting livestock products such as meat and hides. He also appealed for a partnership between Turkana County and China to develop skilled human resources through scholarships for local youth, including facilitating them to study in China.  

Xinhua