MEDIA RELEASE
NAIROBI CITY COUNTY GOVERNMENT MEETING WITH THE EMBASSY OF FRANCE IN KENYA ON SUSTAINABLE CITIES
Earlier today, the Nairobi County Secretary and Head of Public Service, Mr. Leboo ole Morintat, led a delegation from the Nairobi City County Government, representing H.E. Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko, in a meeting with the Embassy of France, Business France and French companies in Kenya. The Nairobi County delegation comprised of representatives from the Governor’s office and the departments of Finance, ICT, Trade and Infrastructure.
The meeting took place at the Embassy of France in Nairobi, Kenya.
Discussions focused on areas of mutual cooperation between the County Government of Nairobi and the French Government and Companies, particularly in the mobility, transport, water and sanitation, renewable energy, environment, ICT, disaster management, urban markets, among other sub-sectors.
The meeting was also a precursor to the upcoming Africa France Summit scheduled to take place in June 2020 in Bordeaux, France. The Summit will also be attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta, and the Embassy officially extended an invitation to the Governor and his administration
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Leboo appreciated the cordial relationship between the French Government and the County Government of Nairobi.
“Nairobi takes pride in being the regional economic and ICT hub and, with this in mind, there is always a growing need to expand and upgrade the existing infrastructure to enhance the competitiveness of Nairobi. This meeting therefore opens doors of collaboration and the County Government of Nairobi under the leadership of H.E Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko is open to any discussions that would lead to improved livelihoods of the City residents,” said Leboo.
On their part, the French government delegation lauded Governor Sonko’s commitment to transparency and accountability that has seen Nairobi receive high ratings on the management and utilisation of Donor Funds by the World Bank and other foreign governments and international partners.
The French government expressed willingness to support the Governor’s plan to provide safe and free water to Nairobi residents especially in the informal settlements, slated to start in December 2019.
They also singled out Nairobi City County government’s commitment to the environment, that saw Nairobi ranked as No.1 with a score of 75, above the national average of 56, by the NEMA Environment Performance Index (EPI).
The Deputy Ambassador of France to Kenya, Ms. Kim Ramoneda, was at hand to receive the delegation and, in her brief remarks, welcomed the Nairobi team and appreciated the goodwill that the Governor had demonstrated in sending the delegation for the important meeting.
The Regional Counsellor for Sustainable Development, Eng. Joel Hamman, said that the Government of France was committed to partnering with Nairobi County Government in the areas highlighted and in any other area where France’s expertise and capacity would benefit the County Government of Nairobi.
Specifically, Eng. Hamann indicated the interest of the French government to showcase the ongoing cleaning of the Nairobi River, under the Nairobi Regeneration Project, at the upcoming Africa France Summit, and also provide technical and financial support.
The French companies in Kenya were represented by Mr. Bernard Binagwaho, an associate director of TACTIS, a leading French consulting firm for digital spatial planning. Mr. Binagwaho is the company’s Head of Africa and Middle East operations, and behind the success of most of the sustainability projects in Kigali, especially on Broadband access and Citizen Engagement systems, an area that they wish to start working with Nairobi immediately.
~ENDS~
Embassy of France, Peponi Gardens, Nairobi
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
