Kaemanik, Lorengkippi | August 7, 2025 (Governor’s Press Service)
The County Government of Turkana has concluded a ten-day integrated One Health outreach under the Kimormor program, delivering a wide range of life-saving services to residents across some of the most remote and underserved regions of the county.
The outreach, which officially closed on Wednesday at Kaemanik in Nakurio Village Unit, Lorengkippi Ward (Lokiriama Sub-county), began ten days earlier in Ng’eu, Nanam Ward, Lokichoggio Sub-county.
This edition of Kimormor marked a significant milestone, both in scale and impact. It surpassed all set targets and introduced innovations never before delivered in such a remote setting.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health, Janerose Tioko, described the outreach as transformative. She highlighted key achievements, including the registration of 620 people per day for national IDs—well above the daily target of 100—and the treatment of over 6,000 animals daily, exceeding the 5,000-animal target.
By the end of the outreach, more than 1,000 residents had registered for national identity cards, 50,000 livestock were vaccinated or treated, and over 7,000 people received human health services ranging from health education and Social Health Authority registration to issuance of birth certificates and SIM card registration.
As part of the environmental conservation effort, 150 trees were planted in participating locations.
In Ng’eu, while routine services were underway, the County Department of Water conducted a hydrological survey and immediately began drilling the area’s first-ever borehole—a direct response to residents’ appeals during a recent visit by Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai.
Sub-county Administrator Obed Echip confirmed the swift response, noting that both the Kimormor outreach and borehole drilling began within days of the Governor’s visit.
The outreach was not without extraordinary moments. On the road to Nadapal, a vehicle ferrying Kimormor staff suffered a tyre burst. As repairs were underway, two young women emerged from the bush—trekking over 70 kilometres from Ng’eu to Nadapal in search of ID registration services. A temporary registration desk was promptly set up, and they were served on the spot.
In Nadapal, a woman suffering from advanced Trachoma Trichiasis received sight-saving Tarsal Plate Rotation (TPR) surgery. According to her attending specialist, the timely intervention prevented irreversible blindness.
In Oropoi, Turkana West, veterinary teams expanded their services to treat camels—a departure from the traditional focus on vaccinations. The same area also hosted a “Tree of Men” session, a community dialogue that addressed gender-based violence, positive health-seeking behaviour, and the protection of the girl-child.
A surprising trend emerged across the outreach: elderly men over 50 turned out in large numbers to register for national IDs. Many said they had never accessed such services due to long distances to centres like Kakuma and prohibitive costs. One elderly participant said he had waited more than 30 years for the opportunity.
Perhaps the most groundbreaking development occurred at Kaemanik, where the county deployed its only CAD4TB digital X-ray machine, powered by artificial intelligence to screen for tuberculosis. Under the open sky and a tree by the dry Lagga riverbed, 120 chest X-rays were conducted in just two days.
Chief Officer Tioko confirmed that this innovation would become a permanent fixture of the Kimormor model.
“Yes, an X-ray under a tree. This is not a trial. This is the future of outdoor medicine, and it will remain part of Kimormor,” she affirmed.
Kaemanik area Chief Nathan Longorio expressed astonishment at the service delivery:
“An X-ray in the bush—this is the first in all of Loima, not just Lorengkippi. I can’t believe this is free, just as the Governor promised.”
Rotich Kipkorir, Kimormor’s One Health Coordinator, said the outreach had grown beyond a program into a replicable model.
“Kimormor is no longer just an outreach—it’s a concept that should be exported to the world,” he said.
His views were echoed by John Lobokan, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, who praised the program’s alignment with the nomadic lifestyle of Turkana communities: “It corresponds to their way of life and helps improve all the health indicators.”
The success of this Kimormor edition was made possible through partnerships with AMREF Health Africa, DANIDA Transcend Project, IRC Coregroup, Kenya Red Cross Society, and the Centre for Health Solutions (CHS).
At a stop in Oropoi, Dr. Jacob Khaoya emphasized the outreach’s role in reaching “zero-dose” children—those who had never received any vaccines. More than ten such children were identified and vaccinated.
Jamal Abdi, IRC Coregroup’s representative, highlighted the vulnerability of pastoralist communities to zoonotic diseases and reaffirmed the organization’s support for animal health services: “We’re helping the County mitigate zoonotic disease risks through livestock vaccination and treatment.”
This was the final Kimormor outreach for the 2024/2025 financial year. Four more are planned in the ongoing 2025/2026 cycle. Governor Lomorukai has pledged increased funding for the initiative amid growing calls from residents to scale it up and increase its frequency.
