Vihiga inks partnership with Russian government to boost key sectors

The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Kenya Vsevolod Tkachenko when he visited Vihiga County on April 28, 2025/Handout

Vihiga County has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Russian government aimed at strengthening ties and spurring development across critical sectors.

Speaking at the county headquarters on Monday, Governor Wilber Ottichilo said the partnership will focus on healthcare, education, environment, water, and energy — all key pillars for the county’s growth.

"We are looking forward to working with the Russian government to digitize our healthcare and educationsystems  and sustainably manage our natural resources," Governor Ottichilo said.

Russian Ambassador to Kenya, Vsevolod Tkachenko, who led the Russian delegation, praised the warm welcome he received in Vihiga and expressed optimism about the collaboration.

“We discussed many promising areas for cooperation, particularly in medicine, education, climate change, and waste management,” Ambassador Tkachenko said.

"Our aim is to support Vihiga’s development in areas of mutual interest."

Governor Ottichilo highlighted Russia's technological advancement, noting that Vihiga County hopes to leverage Russian expertise to become one of Kenya’s first fully digitized counties.

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, who played a key role in initiating the partnership, echoed the governor's sentiments.

He emphasized the county’s ongoing efforts to enhance healthcare services by upgrading its main health facility, the Vihiga County Referral Plaza, which is currently 75 per cent complete.

"As we complete the plaza, we also plan to upgrade our level four hospitals at the sub-county level to ease congestion and focus the plaza on handling referrals," Osotsi said.

Governor Ottichilo added that the county hopes to tap into Russian support to equip the plaza with modern medical technologies and expand services.

"We are keen to complete the plaza with the help of our Russian partners and improve access to quality healthcare for our people," he said.

"Additionally, we want to modernise our Technical and Vocational Training Centres (TVETs) with up-to-date equipment to better prepare our youth for the current job market."

The governor also lauded Senator Osotsi for championing the collaboration, noting Russia’s rich history of technological breakthroughs — from pioneering GPS technology to leading scientific discoveries — which Vihiga County hopes to tap into as it forges its development path.