Nairobi — President William Ruto has urged Chinese investors to exploit existing opportunities in Kenya in the fields of energy, water and housing.
He said Kenya will support foreign investors who can engage in the value addition of the country's abundant raw materials, especially in the energy, water and housing sectors.
"We have many opportunities in our country that you can explore especially in the areas of energy, water and housing," said President Ruto.
He made the remarks on Monday when he made an extensive tour of China's Engineering Corporation limited in Beijing, China.
The company deals with energy integration solutions, construction and contracting, equipment and manufacturing, integrated ecosystem restoration and urban development operations.
During the tour, President Ruto witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and Energy China.
The MoU entails optimising flexibility and reliability of electrical power system;
planning, designing, transformation and modernisation of power generation, transmission lines, distribution lines and substations.
Others aspects of the MOU are; utilising or unlocking the potential of renewable energy and advanced energy storage for supporting higher domestic energy sufficiency and electricity interchange; digitalisation, modernising and innovative management of power systems and power plants.
The MoU was signed by Energy PS Alex Wachira on behalf of Kenya while Lyu Zexiang signed on behalf of China Energy International Group.
Chairman of the organisation Song Hailiang, said they were ready to collaborate with Kenya in projects aimed at transforming the lives of its citizens.
"We already have our projects running in Kenya and we want to explore other opportunities in the country," said Mr Hailiang.
At the same time, Kenya signed a MoU with Huawei telecommunications company to promote digital transformation.
President Ruto witnessed the MoU after a tour of Huawei Beijing Exhibition.
The MoU was signed by the Principal Secretary of the State Department of ICT and the Digital Economy of Kenya, Eng John Tanui, his Foreign Affairs counterpart Korir Sing'oei and Gao Fei, CEO of Huawei Kenya.
The MoU states that the two parties will collaborate to further develop the ICT infrastructure of Kenya and promote the digitization of various sectors of the country, such as transportation, e-government, education and digital energy.
This would contribute to the country's Digital Superhighway and Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda.
The two parties also agreed to continue to cultivate digital skills and enhance capacity building in Kenya by signing the MoU.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, President Ruto emphasized on the need to develop a green, digital and creative economy in Kenya.
He praised Huawei telecommunications company, for its commitment to helping Kenya accelerate its digital inclusion.
Dr Ruto said the move has led to expanded access to online platforms and services by providing innovative technologies.
He said Huawei and Safaricom have played a greater role in meeting the technological needs of Kenyans.
Dr Ruto said technology has made it easier for the Government to move 13,000 services to a digital platform.
"Technology has enabled us move 13,000 Government services to a digital platform courtesy of Huawei and Safaricom among other organizations," said President Ruto.
Chairman of Huawei's Board of Directors, Dr. Liang Hua said Huawei was ready to work more closely with Kenyan government to grow the digital and creative economy in the country.
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"We are encouraged by how Kenya puts the development of ICT infrastructure and the use of digital technology at the centre of development," he said.
Dr Hua disclosed that Huawei was willing and ready to further contribute to the improvement of inclusive connectivity across Kenya.
He said this can be achieved by promoting the adoption of new technologies in various industries and equipping Kenyans with adequate digital skills.
The chairman noted that since starting operations in Kenya in 2003, Huawei has been dedicated to boosting ICT infrastructure, providing digital services, and promoting digital skills in the country.
The global ICT leader supported the construction of computing power infrastructure including National Optical Fiber Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI) and the KONZA National Data Center. - Presidential Communication Service
