The County Government of Uasin Gishu is stepping up the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to strengthen planning, improve decision-making and enhance service delivery across various sectors.

The county has trained GIS Sector Champions drawn from key departments in a three-day programme held at the GIS Lab at Ardhi House in Eldoret.

The training brought together officers from physical planning, ICT, health, agriculture, roads, water, environment and communication departments, with a focus on equipping them with skills to effectively use geospatial data in their day-to-day operations.

The programme was facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Council of Governors (CoG) through the European Union-FAO funded Digital Land Governance Programme (DLGP).

County Executive Committee Member for Lands, Physical Planning, Housing and Urban Development Edward Sawe said the adoption of GIS was part of the county's efforts to embrace technology and data-driven planning.

Sawe said accurate and timely geospatial information would enable the county to make better decisions, improve resource allocation and ensure development programmes respond to actual needs on the ground.

He noted that the rapid growth of Uasin Gishu made the use of modern planning tools increasingly important in guiding sustainable development.

Sawe further emphasised the need for departments to share information and work together rather than operating in isolated systems.

According to him, strengthening GIS capacity across departments would create a common platform for information sharing and support coordinated implementation of development projects.

The trained officers, designated as GIS Sector Champions, are expected to spearhead the adoption and use of geospatial technologies within their respective departments.

Director of Physical Planning and training focal person Charles Kimani said GIS would strengthen the county's ability to integrate spatial information into development planning and decision-making.

Kimani said modern planning required reliable spatial data to help officials understand development trends, identify challenges and formulate evidence-based interventions.

He added that the programme was designed to go beyond training officers on GIS software, with the county seeking to establish a culture where geospatial information becomes part of routine planning and monitoring.

The technology is expected to support a wide range of county functions, including infrastructure development, land-use management, environmental conservation, agricultural planning, public health interventions, road development and monitoring of county projects.

The county hopes that the strengthened GIS capacity will also improve coordination among departments, reduce duplication of projects and enable officials to track development programmes more effectively.

The initiative comes as counties increasingly turn to digital technologies and data-driven approaches to improve governance, planning and delivery of public services.