Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho is out of the country on a two-week tour of Morocco to attract more investors and tourists to the county.
The governor has held several meetings with senior government officials in Morocco and formalised a Memorandum of Understanding with Tangier Tetouan AlHoceima Regional Council, under the Sister City Programme.
He met the secretary general of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa Jean Pierre Elong Mbasi.
In the MoU with Tangier, Joho said the partnership will take off with immediate effect and is set to facilitate investment, technology and skills transfer between the two cities.
The MoU was finalised on May 26.
“We have agreed to prioritise tourism, the blue economy, youth and cultural exchange programmes as the initial sectors of engagement,” he said.
Joho said Dr.Mokhtar Ghambou, the ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Kenya, and Fatima Al-Hassani of Tangier and their teams have embraced the bonds of brotherhood between the people of Mombasa and Tangier.
Joho said in line with the partnership agreement between Mombasa and the region of Tangier lies an opportunity to accelerate private sector investment in the blue economy, manufacturing, logistics, social housing and renewable energy among other key sectors.
The governor later led the Kenyan delegation, among them the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mombasa chapter chairperson Mustafa Ramadhan, Mombasa businessmen and county officials, on a visit to the Tanger-Med port for an extensive education tour.
On May 27, Joho and his team held a meeting with the delegation from the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Morocco, led by Khalid Safir, the Wali director general.
“We had a productive discussion on joint strategies in enhancing cooperation between local governments in our respective countries. We look forward to a productive engagement in fostering collaboration among African cities,” Joho said.
Later that day, the governor held a meeting to discuss the role of leadership in spearheading the transformative agenda in local governments with the secretary general of UCLG Africa.
Different stakeholders shared experiences on decentralisation and reforms happening in both Morocco and Kenya, specifically in enhancing the role of municipalities and regional governments.
“We held robust discussions with the representatives of various political parties in Morocco to explore ways of strengthening strategic partnerships between the private sectors in Kenya and Morocco,” he said.
The governor, who is expected back in the country on Friday, said that the private sector in Kenya plays an increasingly vital role in sustainable and inclusive economic growth nationally and in the region.
“It is therefore incumbent upon both the national and county leadership to further enhance the conducive business environment that will eradicate bottlenecks in forging international partnerships,” Joho said.
BY THE STAR