UDA Delegation Visits Hangzhou Innovation Hubs on Official Tour of China

A United Democratic Alliance (UDA) delegation on an official visit to the People’s Republic of China has toured key innovation and technology centres in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation and draw lessons to support Kenya’s industrialization and youth entrepreneurship agenda.

The delegation, visiting China at the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is led by UDA Secretary General Senator Hassan Omar Hassan. During the visit, the team toured the Hangzhou Science-Tech Exhibition Hall and Hangzhou Dream Town, both located in Yuhang District, an area globally recognised for innovation, technology and startup development.

The Hangzhou Science-Tech City is a national-level innovation and entrepreneurship hub hosting industries in information technology, biomedicine, green energy, new materials, advanced equipment manufacturing, robotics and artificial intelligence. The model has played a critical role in positioning Hangzhou as one of China’s leading technology cities and is viewed as a blueprint for emerging smart cities and industrial parks.

Members of the delegation noted that the Hangzhou Science-Tech City mirrors Kenya’s ongoing efforts to develop innovation-driven urban centres such as Konza Technopolis and Tatu City, which aim to spur industrial growth, create jobs and attract local and foreign investment.

Speaking during the tour, the UDA leadership underscored the importance of learning from China’s deliberate investments in research, innovation and technology as Kenya pursues its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, particularly in empowering young people and strengthening the manufacturing sector.

The delegation also visited Hangzhou Dream Town, a vibrant startup ecosystem that serves as a central hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. Dream Town regularly hosts seminars, product demonstrations and outdoor fairs designed to nurture startups and guide young innovators through the process of incubating business ideas into scalable enterprises.

The centre provides shared workspaces, mentorship, access to financing and networking opportunities, creating an enabling environment for young entrepreneurs to grow their ideas into successful companies. Delegates observed that such structured support systems are key to reducing startup failure rates and accelerating economic growth.

“The Dream Town model demonstrates the power of intentional policy, collaboration and infrastructure in unlocking the potential of young innovators,” members of the delegation noted, adding that similar initiatives could be scaled up across Kenyan counties to support youth-led enterprises.

The UDA delegation comprises Senator Danson Mungatana (Tana River), Turkana County Woman Representative Hon. Cecilia Ngetit, Senior Advisor to the President Prof. Edward Kisiangani, UDA Executive Director Nicodemus Bore, NEC Member Hon. Mark Lumunokol, Dr. Adrian Kamotho of the Economic National Development Research Centre (ENDRC), Director of County Affairs Omulo Junior, Director of Programmes and Partnerships Daniel Kiptoo, and Special Advisor to the Secretary General Sabastian Mwangangi.

The visit forms part of broader engagements between UDA and the CPC aimed at strengthening party-to-party cooperation, governance exchange and economic collaboration. The delegation is expected to hold further discussions with Chinese counterparts on innovation, industrial policy, skills development and youth empowerment.

As Kenya seeks to accelerate industrialization and position itself as a regional innovation hub, leaders within the delegation said lessons drawn from Hangzhou’s science and technology ecosystem will inform policy thinking and partnerships geared towards sustainable development and inclusive economic growth.