Lodwar- February 24, 2025 (Public Communications and Media Relations)
The County Government of Turkana, led by the Acting County Secretary, Joseph Nyang’a, met with the Laikipia County Government’s multi-department team and IFC in a courtesy call to brief and discuss the collaborative learning of county best practices knowledge sharing visit scheduled this week.
This is a follow-up to the benchmarking exercise that the Turkana County team took in Laikipia in November 2024. Prior to this, a multi-departmental technical committee had been formed in May 2024 towards land use and urban development as an economic development resource.
The partnership framework between the County Government of Turkana and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) under the Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund Program (KKCF) targets operationalization and eventual implementation of the governor’s nine-point development agenda priorities 6-9 with specific focus on sustainable land governance and enhancement of land as potential development resource through targated investments, development strategies and related policies.
The courtesy call preceded a three-day workshop that aims to improve land operations in the two counties through knowledge sharing and capacity building towards the most effective use of land planning processes.
Addressing the meeting, CS Nyang’a said, “The benchmarking initiatives between the Laikipia and Turkana County Government teams will help represent a strategic approach towards enhancing land management practices in Turkana by leveraging successful models established in Laikipia county.”
The Laikipia CECM for Infrastructure, Lands Housing, Energy and Urban Development, Ekwam Nabos highlighted how the collaboration will benefit both counties.
“Collaboration between these counties may lead to further knowledge exchange and boosting of resources. Establishing a network among counties facing similar challenges can facilitate ongoing learning opportunities that benefit all parties,” he added.
To enhance these collaboration efforts, IFC scheduled the ongoing 4th Technical Working Groups meetings (TWG), bilateral meetings, and discussions between the relevant inter-county directorates, Lodwar and Kakuma municipalities.
According to the Chief Officer, Municipalities and Urban areas Management, Peter Lomorukai, this workshop guides leveraging on land as a factor of production to generate revenue for the county.
“We are borrowing policies and bills enacted in Laikipia for customisation purposes. Learning best approaches on registering land for both community and regularisation of tenure in our urban centres,” he said.
The courtesy call included CECM, Lands, Physical Planning, and Urban Areas Management, Faith Aletia, Turkana NLC Coordinator Mark Ewesit, and several directors. The Laikipia County Government representatives included Mwangi Gichuki (Chief Officer, lands), Kamunya Karundo (CEO Laikipia County Revenue Board), Grace Wairugu (Laikipia, NLC Coordinator) among others.
The three-day workshop will include senior officers from both Turkana and Laikipia county governments, National Land Commission(NLC) coordinators from both counties, and IFC representatives.
