By Gabriel-Eddie Njoroge

The Geographical Information System (GIS) laboratory in Kenya has been launched in the County of Baringo by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). It is the first laboratory to be inaugurated and will be followed by seven others in different counties.

The GIS laboratory system was funded at a cost of Kshs 5 million by the European Union (EU). Its purpose is to target, in order to help, marginalized communities so as to assist in the collection of data and improve and enhance the development of the county it is located.

Nandi, Vihiga, Laikipia, Samburu, West Pokot, Lamu and Tana River are the other counties to benefit from the installation of the GIS laboratories.

The Country Representative for FAO Gabriel Rugalema stated that the system will help the county in improving monitoring human activities at border points and planning on development. He also revealed that the system will help in getting information on the varieties of natural resources in the benefiting counties and the social facilities available adding that it will also help in management of human resources.

“The GIS system which was developed under the Ministry of Lands will be manned by a team of selected committees from the targeted eight counties,” he added. He made the remarks at the Kenya School of Government, Baringo campus in Kabarnet during the launch of the system in the county.

The representative also said that the selected GIS committees from each of the counties benefitting from the systems will be tasked to ensure that the project becomes successful and meet its set goals that include reduction of inter community conflicts resulting from matters like border disputes.

The EU Representative, David Mwangi explained further that the GIS system will help local and foreign investors to conveniently access land information.

Elijah Kipkoros, the Baringo Executive for Lands thanked the FAO for considering and choosing Baringo in the project. He stated that the system will help them collect, process and analyze data in digital form.

The County Commissioner for Baringo Henry Wafula pledged to work in tandem with the county administration to ensure that the planned targets are attained. He also stated his hope that the laboratory system will bring a solution to incidences of cattle rustling and inter community conflicts that are witnessed in border points between Baringo County and her neighboring counties like Turkana and Samburu.