Inside Stories

Kenyan Governor Visits the Mill City

LOWELL – Hon. Joseph Ole Lenku, regional Governor of the county of Kajiado in Kenya, and former Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government of Kenya, visited Lowell City Hall on Tuesday accompanied by his wife Edna Lenku.

Together they toured City Hall, visiting the Council Chamber and Mayor’s Office, and meet with Mayor Sokhary Chau, City Manager Tom Golden, Middlesex Community College President Phil Sisson, and the City Councilors.

Ole Lenku is the second regional Governor of Kajiado County, serving his second term after winning elections in both 2017 and 2022. Ole Lenku was also appointed as the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination from 2013 to 2014, becoming the only Maasai person appointed and the pioneering chief executive of the newly created ministry under Kenya’s new constitution. As regional Governor, he has implemented reforms in the county government and has focused on improvements towards health, land and education.

In his speech to Lowell City Hall Council members, he highlighted how connections between Lowell, MA & Kenya have yielded wonderful achievements, including the first Kenyan Mayor’s Assistant, Erastus Mwangi.

“Kenyans live, work, study and flourish in Lowell, a testament that the many stakeholders in this community from local government, businesses, as well as citizens, are keen on building long-term, global people-to-people relationships through the development of international leadership, friendship, and understanding,” the governor said.

“It is a distinct honor to represent the City of Lowell in welcoming the Honorable Kenyan Regional Governor Joseph Ole Lenku and First Lady Edna Lenku ,” Mayor Chau stated, “We greatly respect the culture and traditions they share with us. As Mayor, building people relationships that reflect the cultures of Lowell is vital to an international gateway city where we learn from our friends around the globe.”

As part of Lowell’s Sister-City Program, Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, has shared a significant bond with Lowell for over a decade.  The Governor’s visit will serve to strengthen this bond further.

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