Lodwar, July 6, 2026 (Public Communication and Media Relations)
Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus has urged donors funding drought response programs under the Eastern and Southern Africa Humanitarian Fund (ESAHF) to consider extending the project duration, saying the county is yet to fully recover from the devastating effects of drought suffered in the recent past.
Speaking when he hosted a delegation from UN OCHA, UNICEF, WFP and World Vision Kenya implementing the program in Turkana, Erus said the six-month period allocated to the program was coming to an end despite the growing need for humanitarian assistance to address malnutrition, water access, food insecurity and disease burden.
“The county still needs this support. It is our wish that the donors will consider an extension after the lapse of this six-month implementation period,” he said.
The Deputy Governor cited fragile social protection systems, the backflow of Lake Turkana that has rendered populations homeless and food insecure, porous borders that increase health risks, and the urgent need to support counties to take charge of implementing the Shirika Plan as issues aggravating the drought situation.
“We hereby request the extension, first to safeguard the local population from the devastating effects of drought and, second, to pave way for investments that may help address the competing needs,” he added.
While appreciating the ongoing response and use of consultative approaches that brought all relevant implementing agencies to the planning and execution of the program, DG Erus also called for the utilization of locally led project implementation units for better results.
Pauline Mwaniki from UN-OCHA, who led the delegation, confirmed that the monitoring mission entailed visiting project sites to collect information and learn lessons.
“This is a project implemented not only in Turkana but across seven counties severely affected by drought. Turkana made it to the list after an initial evaluation indicated increased vulnerability to acute malnutrition, food insecurity and impacts of drought,” she said.
Additionally, Mwaniki clarified that the Government of the United States of America had invested up to $50 million to the ESAHF- Kenya managed by UN OCHA.
The evaluation team is expected to visit projects in Turkana West, Loima, Turkana Central and Turkana South.
