The County Government of Uasin Gishu is strengthening the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in planning and service delivery through specialised training of County GIS Sector Champions.
Officers drawn from various county departments, including physical planning, ICT, health, agriculture, roads, water, environment and communication on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, attended a three-day training, held at the GIS Lab at Ardhi House, Eldoret.
The programme was facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Council of Governors (CoG) under the European Union-FAO funded Digital Land Governance Programme (DLGP).
Why Uasin Gishu officers are being trained on Geographic Information Systems
The training is aimed at strengthening the capacity of county officers to use GIS and geospatial information in planning, decision-making, data sharing, and service delivery.
County Executive Committee Member for Lands, Physical Planning, Housing and Urban Development Edward Sawe said the county was embracing technology and data-driven planning to improve how development programmes are implemented.
“GIS provides us with accurate and timely information that enables the county to make better decisions, plan more effectively and allocate resources where they are most needed. As Uasin Gishu continues to grow, the use of geospatial data will be critical in guiding sustainable development,” said Sawe.
He said collaboration between departments was essential in ensuring that GIS information is effectively used across the county.
“We want to move away from working in isolated departmental systems. By strengthening GIS capacity among officers from different departments, we are creating a common platform for sharing information and supporting coordinated development,” he added.
The training targeted selected officers designated as GIS Sector Champions, who are expected to support the adoption and use of geospatial technologies within their respective departments.
Why GIS is important in modern planning
Director of Physical Planning and the training’s focal person, Charles Kimani, said the initiative would enhance the county’s ability to integrate spatial information into development planning.
“Modern planning cannot be separated from accurate spatial information. GIS enables us to understand what is happening on the ground, identify development trends and make evidence-based decisions,” said Kimani.
He added that the sector champions would play an important role in ensuring that knowledge acquired during the training translates into practical applications within county departments.
“The objective is not simply to train officers on GIS software. We want to build a culture where departments routinely use geospatial information to analyse challenges, plan interventions and monitor development projects,” Kimani said.
The integration of GIS is expected to support areas such as infrastructure planning, land-use management, environmental management, agricultural planning, public health interventions, road development and monitoring of county projects.
