By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 20 August 2026 - The European Union-Food and Agriculture Organization (EU-FAO) Digital Land Governance Programme (DLGP) has entered a new phase with the rollout of specialised Geographic Information System (GIS) training for county officials across Kenya.
Kisumu County is among the first beneficiaries to host the initiative, with a three-day intensive training bringing together departmental GIS champions and technical experts to strengthen the county’s capacity to manage and utilise geospatial data.
The programme, spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), brings together experts from FAO, the Council of Governors (CoG) and private-sector technical partners, highlighting the growing role of public-private partnerships in advancing digital land governance.
The training targets counties that have received modern GIS laboratories under the DLGP. Its main objective is to equip designated officials with practical skills to operationalise the laboratories, manage spatial information and use geospatial data to support evidence-based planning and decision-making.
Participants were taken through fundamental GIS processes, including data capture, spatial data processing and visualisation. The training sought to bridge the gap between raw geospatial data and actionable information that can support planning, monitoring and service delivery.
The participants also received a live, step-by-step demonstration of the CoG GIS-based open data portal, which is designed to serve as a central repository for geospatial information from all 47 counties.
A major milestone during the workshop was the official handover of completed spatial datasets by private-sector partners. The datasets were subsequently uploaded directly onto the CoG portal, enabling immediate access and use.
The portal features a dual-interface system comprising a public-facing platform designed to enhance transparency and stakeholder engagement, as well as a secure administrative backend for authorised users.
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The administrative platform will provide GIS and monitoring and evaluation champions with a central workspace to continuously update and manage departmental information. This is expected to facilitate real-time monitoring of county projects across Kisumu’s 10 departments and 18 sectors of county governance.
The initiative is expected to strengthen the use of technology in county planning, land governance, project monitoring and public accountability, while improving access to reliable spatial information.
The rollout also aligns with Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o’s broader digitisation and digitalisation agenda, aimed at modernising county workflows, improving service delivery and enhancing transparency in line with the principles of the 2010 Constitution and the county government’s development agenda.
As the training programme expands to other counties, the DLGP is expected to provide a common digital framework through which counties can harness geospatial information to improve governance, land administration and development planning.
Digital Land Governance Programme Enters Advanced Phase with Nationwide GIS Training
Trainers are strengthening county capacity to manage and utilise geospatial data.