Lodwar, 21st May 2025 (Public Communication and Media Relations)
The County Government of Turkana is preparing to roll out a climate resilience program targeting pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities residing at the Kenya-Uganda cross border areas of Lokiriama, Lorengkippi, Urum and Letea corridors, regions frequently battered by flash floods and prolonged droughts.
The program, known as PASSAGE (Pastoralist Anticipatory Action for Strengthening Emergency Preparedness), funded under the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) initiative and will be jointly implemented by the County and the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) as part of Disaster Risk Management initiative.
At a meeting held in Lodwar to discuss implementation of the initiative, the acting County Secretary Joseph Nyang’a welcomed officials from KRCS and International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), praising their track record of rapid emergency response in Turkana and reaffirming the County’s commitment to supporting the new initiative.
“The Red Cross teams have always demonstrated speed and compassion in disaster response. Their continued presence and targeted programming are critical, especially in disaster-prone areas” said Nyang’a. “We will work closely to ensure this new project is successful and responsive to the needs of our communities.”
The four targeted areas lying in the Kenya Uganda cross border areas have previously borne the brunt of climate variability in recent years.
Floods from River Turkwell have repeatedly displaced farming families, destroyed crops, and washed away infrastructure. These events often alternate with extended dry spells, making the area Turkana’s most vulnerable to climate instigated disasters.
The project aims to introduce predictive, multi-hazard early warning systems that trigger early action to protect lives, livestock, and livelihoods.
By shifting the focus from reactive to anticipatory response, the program will help vulnerable communities better prepare for the dual threats of drought and floods.
Chief Officer for Administration and Disaster Management David Maraka emphasized the County’s readiness to facilitate the rollout of the program and called on KRCS to consider extending similar interventions to other disaster-prone areas, particularly citing Lopiding in Lokichoggio sub county.
“While we welcome this timely intervention, we urge our partners to also focus on hotspots like Lopiding, where communities remain vulnerable,” said Maraka. “With joint support, we can bridge gaps in early response and build long-term resilience.”
The project spans the Karamoja Cluster, covering parts of Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan with IFRC carrying the implementation role in areas outside the Karamoja cluster.
The regional focus is designed to tackle climate-induced risks that transcend borders, while bolstering local adaptation capacity across the Greater Horn of Africa.
