Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Tuesday hosted Cape Town Mayor Alderman Hill-Lewis at City Hall, Nairobi as the two leaders signed a twin-cities agreement to enhance collaboration between Nairobi and the South African city.
Speaking during the inking of the agreement, Sakaja noted that Kenya and Cape Town stand to gain more by working together than by operating as separate entities further noting that the deal signifies the two cities intent to strengthen and support each other.
“We need to sell Cape Town and you need to sell Nairobi. We have more to gain together in all the areas of interest that we have including tourism in that we can create a major tourism circuit between both our countries,” he said.
“This will attract people to come to both Cape Town and Nairobi which I still hold is the only capital where the most natural, untouched and unspoiled habitat of wildlife exists.”
Sakaja added that the partnerships with Cape Town will also help in climate change mitigation and action while pointing out that the two cities can use their standings as regional hubs to further augment collaboration between the two municipalities.
“Nairobi and Cape Town also have shared interests in climate and climate action. As cities are usually vulnerable to extreme weather events, we use our influence to build coalitions with other African cities so that Africa’s voice can be heard when it comes to climate policy,” said Sakaja.
On his part, Lewis noted that the partnership will help strengthen the two cities’ markets while also doubling trade opportunities between Cape Town and Nairobi.
“Our collaboration is not only limited to commercial opportunities. We both are rapidly growing cities in developing world contexts and that pressure places enormous strain on city infrastructure and the provision of housing and dignified services to our people,” he said.
“Infrastructure enhancement, the development of a wide range of affordable housing options and the roll-out of dignified basic services are among the top priorities of my administration.”
