The Governor of Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Evans Kidero spoke highly of the collaboration between Tongji University and the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (Nairobi Water Company) with regards to its cooperation model and achievements in technology transfer and capacity building of drinking water treatment since 2012, during the meeting on 22 April with Prof. Li Fengting, the Vice Dean of the College of Environmental Science and Technology, Tongji University.

 “Nairobi has a lot to learn from Shanghai in safe water supply as Shanghai, with a large population – almost half of that in Kenya – seldom has problems of drinking water shortage even in peak seasons and hours. The collaboration between Nairobi and Tongji University set a good example of China-Africa cooperation in improving local people’s welfare in a practical and timely manner”. Dr. Kidero said.

Prof. Li briefed the Governor that the second large-scale experiments to apply new flocculatants technology to treat drinking water in Nairobi performed excellently and expected overall application in the next few months.

Dr. Kidero affirmed his support to this collaboration and expected more achievements for the mutual cooperation in other aspects, such as solid waste treatment, etc.

The meeting was also attended by Mr. Philip Gichuki, the Managing Director of the Nairobi Water Company, and Ms. Wang Zidi, Programme Coordinator of IESD, Tongji University.

As a significant outcome of the tripartite cooperation between China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, the United Nations Environment Programme and Africa, the Memorandum of Understanding between Nairobi Water Company and Tongji University was signed in 2012 with the aim to improve the efficiency of water and wastewater plants. Currently, partnership has been built between Tongji University and Nairobi Water Company as well a waste water treatment plant in Kisumu.