Lodwar, March 10, 2026 (Public Communication and Media Relations)
The County Government has welcomed a new partner, Pastoralists Adaptive Initiative for Resilience (PAIR), which aims to strengthen pastoralist livelihoods by promoting locally driven solutions, food security, and climate resilience across the county.
PAIR is an initiative that focuses on integrated systems that stabilize pastoral livelihoods through climate adaptation and natural resource management, economic empowerment, peacebuilding and social cohesion, as well as research, learning and innovation.
Speaking during the launch, Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus welcomed the partnership and reaffirmed the county’s commitment to working with development partners to uplift communities.
“The County Government appreciates partners like PAIR who recognize the importance of working with communities and using local knowledge to address development challenges. Such partnerships are key in strengthening resilience, improving food security and supporting sustainable livelihoods for our pastoralist communities,” he said.
He added that the county government is aligning partners to county programs to ensure that every intervention focuses on sustainability and long-term impact.
The Deputy Governor also urged Turkana residents to support local food production by buying fresh vegetables and fruits from Natoot Farm instead of sourcing them from neighboring counties such as Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu.
Chief Officer for Resource Mobilisation, Partnerships and Donor Coordination, Janerose Tioko, emphasized the importance of collaboration between the County Government and Development actors.
“The County Government continues to open its doors to credible partners whose interventions align with our development priorities,” she noted, adding that PAIR’s approach of leveraging local expertise and community knowledge will greatly complement the county’s ongoing efforts to build resilient communities.
Chief Officer for Livestock Development, Peter Eregae, highlighted the impact the initiative will have on food production and pastoral livelihoods.
“Strengthening pastoral livelihoods requires innovative and practical interventions. By supporting community farms and local processing facilities, initiatives like PAIR are helping communities increase production, add value to their produce and livestock thus improving household food security,” he said.
As part of the launch activities, the delegation visited Natoot Farm, in Turkana Central where community members are producing vegetables, fruits and maize supported under the initiative.
PAIR has also installed a solar-powered milling enterprise that supports 250 farming households and 271 school-going children in the Natoot community.
The intervention will significantly reduce the distance and costs previously incurred by community members who had to travel to town for milling services.
PAIR co-founder, Kelvin Shingles explained the focus areas of the initiative noting that the organization looks forward to working closely with the Turkana County Government to strengthen pastoral resilience, expand economic opportunities and build climate-stable systems for communities.
Present were teams from Protocol led by Director Peter Lomauge, officers from Resource Mobilization, Partnerships and Donor Coordination (RMPDC), Livestock and Agriculture departments, Kanamkemer Ward Member of County Assembly James Ikeny, the Turkana Central Sub-County Administrator, and village administrator.
