The incoming Chief Officer for Economic Planning, Samuel Ekale, has today promised to establish the Governor’s Dashboard within the ICT Directorate in the Planning Department.

The Dashboard, he said, would enable the Governor to access all the reports including the projects and the progress status in the 10 Departments within a click of the button.

That way, the Planning Chief said, any other person, and stakeholders looking for information in regards to the County Government, will get it in real time.

Chief Ekale said this when he took over office from the outgoing Chief Officer John Korikel. Chief Korikel moves from Economic Planning to the Department of Sports and Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) in Education, Sports and Social Protection.

CCO Ekale left the Department of Trade, Enterprise Development, and Cooperatives to occupy the office in the Department of Economic Planning under the same capacity.

The incoming Chief said jokingly that, is back at home, after he was deployed to the Department of Planning to work as Statistician in 2018. He later supported the Strategic Delivery Unit (SDU), in the Office of the Governor.

He stated that he knew most of his colleagues, and therefore delivering the Governor’s 9-Point Agenda would be with a lot of ease.

Chief Ekale thanked the CECM Dr. Eregae and outgoing Chief Korikel for the good work the Planning team did on the budgeting process.

The immediate outgoing Chief Korikel thanked the staff for supporting him for the six months he served as Chief Officer for the Department.

He was happy he delivered his mandates while at Planning. The Outgoing Chief encouraged the staff to work diligently and serve the Turkana Community as expected.

Korikel promised to work harder in the Sports and Vocational Department, as he accepted that change is inevitable.

The County Executive for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Michael Eregae, who witnessed the handover, said is happy Turkana was among the three counties, which read and submitted their budgets in good time.

The CECM revealed that this year the government devoted its development budget to 50% as compared to previous financial years. He attributed all this, to the dedicated team that is working in Finance and Economic Planning Department.

Dr. Eregae thanked outgoing Chief Korikel for his dedication at work. He encouraged him to move to the Sports and Vocational Docket with an open mind to learn new things.

The Finance CECM likened Korikel’s transfer to his when he was moved as Chief Officer from the Veterinary Office to that of the Trade Department during the last regime. He said, to his surprise, he learned how livestock products can be sold and marketed in the Trade Department.

Dr Eregae amused the staff by suggesting that they continue praying to their colleagues in an acting capacity, supporting the Budget and Planning offices; believing that their efforts will never go unrewarded!

He used the opportunity to inform the staff to always practice financial discipline when entrusted with government funds.

Directors; Evaristus Lokidap (Administration), Isaac Eregae (ICT and E-government), and Francis Lokwar (Ag. Economic Planning) were present.

Assistant Directors in attendance were, Nicodemus Lowoton (Budget) and Michael Ekwanga (M&E).

Staff for the Planning Department were also present to witness the brief ceremony.