Kenyan delegation may visit Woodlands County this June

By Serena Lapointe

Visitors from over 13 thousand kilometres away might end up paying a visit to Woodlands
County as part of a fact-finding mission should a recent request be fulfilled later this year.
Woodlands County Council recently received a letter from the County Government of Tana
River, Kenya, asking if they could come and learn from Woodlands County.
In a letter dated February 5, Maurice Okech Osano, Chief of Staff for Tana River County
Governor Dhadho Gaddae Godhana, explained that despite the importance that Tana River
County plays within Kenya, they continue to face challenges, including low revenue collection,
inadequate water and sanitation services, housing shortages, poor urban planning and
governance restraints.
Their goal in visiting Woodlands County, as well as a few other municipalities, is to learn how
things are done so they can take that knowledge back to Kenya and put it into practice. “On
behalf of the County Government of Tana River, Kenya, I respectfully write to request your kind
consideration and support in hosting an official delegation from our County in June 2026,” wrote
Osano.
Tana River County is one of 47 counties that comprise the Republic of Kenya. It is named after
the Tana River, the longest river in Kenya, which stretches for approximately 1,000 kilometres
before draining out into the Indian Ocean. By comparison, the Athabasca River is approximately
1,200 kilometres.
The land area of Tana River County covers 35,000 square kilometres and is home to over
350,000 residents, most of whom live in smaller groups. The largest municipality in Tana River
County is Hola Town. With a population of around seven thousand, it functions as the political,
commercial, and service hub of the County, with health facilities, education institutions and legal
courts.
Despite how large an area Tana River County has, and the large population that lives there, only
one local authority exists, the Tana River County Council. Over the last forty years, the county
has exploded in population from 92,401 in 1979 to 180,901 in 1999 to 315,943 in 2019,
exacerbating some of the issues it is facing.
In the letter, Osano said they hope to learn more about how Woodlands County governs,
particularly with policy implementation, financial management, public participation and service
delivery, and plan on attending at least one council meeting to gain insight on how Woodlands
County Council makes decisions.
They also want to learn about the county’s growth strategies, land-use planning and the
frameworks around infrastructure development. The Kenyan delegation has asked to tour water,
sewer and solid waste management facilities, as well as learn about recycling and waste
disposal services within the municipality.

“We kindly request your support in facilitating meetings, site visits, and engagements with
relevant County officials and institutions during our visit. We are confident that these interactions
will strengthen relations between our two governments and lay a solid foundation for future
cooperation and mutual learning,” wrote Osano, adding that their team would coordinate all
arrangements to ensure successful engagement between the two leadership groups.
Woodlands County CAO Matthew Ferris said that they see the benefits of not only sharing
knowledge with the Kenyan delegation but also learning from them, including understanding
how they function from a public service delivery standpoint. He said they could also share
information about the industries in Woodlands County, specifically forestry, adding that it could
benefit them to take that knowledge back to Kenya.
He said the next step, with the council’s approval, would be to seek out more information. “We
think it’s a good thing, but we also want to make sure we are being prudent with every dollar
that we spend. We would like to have the authority to get a much more detailed program and
budget prior to formally committing,” said Ferris.
Councillor Peter Kuelken said he liked the idea and was interested in learning from them. “I
absolutely think this is a great opportunity. The part that was really interesting to me was that I
would like to see their (agriculture) component. That would be really super interesting to see
how they operate there compared to how we operate here.”
Tana River County is a hotbed for agriculture and livestock production, sustaining the livelihoods
of its many residents. The area is known for its sheep, cattle, camel and goat producers, as well
as for its mangoes. Thanks to the Integrated Fruit Processing Plant located in Hola Town, which
can produce 1.5 metric tons of mango pulp per hour, the fruit is vital to the area’s economy.
Woodlands County Council decided to approve hosting the Kenyan delegation, in principle, and
directed Administration to work with the Kenyans to confirm who would be coming, their full
intentions for the trip and any associated costs that could land on Woodlands, before any
financial commitment is made.