Nakuru County and USA’s North Carolina state are set to sign an agreement to establish a partnership to utilise each other’s best practices in research, technical assistance and development.
This was reached after several meetings held on Monday between the Nakuru County delegation and several institutions based in North Carolina. Governor Kinuthia Mbugua initiated introductory meetings and dialogue to share potential partnership components that would form the basis of the agreement.
The validation of the agreement will see Nakuru County partner with key institutions that showcased a number of opportunities to be explored for partnership, including business investment, university to university partnerships, agriculture and economy co-operation.
In research, the focus will be mostly on cancer, which recently claimed Nakuru MCA Damaris Mbuthia and Gladys Wanjiku, christened the ‘Molo cancer girl’.
The institutions in the agreement include the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and North Carolina Central University – a leading research centre ranked as one of the best in the world.
Governor Mbugua said: “We will tap into these resources we have been presented with and I believe this will transform into development for Nakuru County.
“We are very impressed by the opportunities which we think are vital for our development agenda in Nakuru County.”
He added that the partnership will also result in improved standards of living for the people of Nakuru County. He said the partnership will also provide a forum for economic development, international trade and increased global understanding.
Mbugua was hosted at the North Carolina State Capitol where he met chief of staff Thomas Stith, who represented State Governor Patt McCrory.
The agreements will be signed after formulating the working plan in liaison with the respective government offices.