Counties visit Vihiga for bench-marking on geospatial technology

Six counties have so far visited Vihiga County for bench marking on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in running county projects.

According to Vihiga Governor Dr. Wilber Ottichilo, the county’s GIS laboratory established in May this year helps in planning, resource allocation, project implementation and decision making.

“We can tell the size of land in a particular place in this county and decide on what to use the land for just by the use of satellite images,” said Dr. Ottichilo while receiving a delegation from Tana River.

He further pointed out that through use of images obtained from the ground through GIS, they are able to identify different needs for different areas within the County and make rational decisions on the interventions that are needed.

The counties that have visited the Vihiga GIS lab include West Pokot, Marsabit, Nandi, Samburu, Tana River and Turkana with Baringo and Laikipia Counties expected to tour the facility.

According to Marsabit CEC for Lands Kulamo Bullo, lessons learnt from Vihiga GIS lab will be used to prioritize development agendas in respective wards based on analyzed and interpreted information.

“Water being a major need in Marsabit, it will be easier to use GIS technology to identify areas with water for boreholes to be dug. Vihiga has become a pacesetter on the use of technology in development planning,” said Bullo.

Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana and Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo are some of the prominent individuals who have visited the laboratory.

“I am startled that with such technology counties can be able to make rational decisions,” said Governor Kibwana.

The Defence CS said: “The National Space Agency falls in my docket and I’m very much humbled to realize Vihiga County has a GIS lab that can host data for us, this is commendable Governor Ottichilo,” said Omamo when he visited the county’s lab in early August.