Busia Governor Paul Otuoma on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) to help establish and develop Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism in the county.
The partnership is the formulation of a framework to establish a business and convention centre and market development of MICE Tourism in the region.
Governor Otuoma noted the potential opportunities for tourism in Busia County and the Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) such as the stone Art (Kakapel), the Lake (Port Victoria) and the Export Processing Zone in Nasewa where there is a gap to develop the infrastructure.
The county stands to gain from MICE considering its potential to become a major logistics hub for businesses as well as Gateway to East and Central Africa.
"This partnership will open more opportunities for the county and stimulate economic growth in the region with the KICC's expertise and resources and of mutual benefit to Busia and the people of Kenya," Governor Otuoma said.
KICC CEO James Mwaura stated that the agreement aims to attract national and international events, create job opportunities, stimulate local businesses, and boost the region’s visibility.
"This agreement marks a significant step forward for Busia County’s economic growth, as it leverages KICC's expertise to position Busia as a prime destination for business tourism, through enhanced MICE infrastructure," Mwaura said.
In July, Otuoma shifted his focus to ward-based agriculture to combat poverty in the border county.
The county intends to guarantee food security and reduce poverty with the help of its Ward-Based Agriculture Sector Driven Rural Revitalisation Programme (WASRERP).
Otuoma's administration has taken a different approach, focusing on building and connecting agricultural producer organisations to markets.
The aim is to reduce poverty in the county by half by 2027. According to data, 70 per cent of the Busia rural population lives below the poverty line.
Aside from Kenya's latent agricultural potential, the collapse of the regional textile and fishery sectors created a hole in the rural economic matrix, exacerbating Busia's poverty problems.
