Lodwar, 15 July 2025 (Governor’s Press Service)- The County Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening partnerships with development organisations working to address poverty, climate adaptation, and livelihoods in the region.

Deputy Governor Dr John Erus gave the reassurance during a meeting with a delegation led by BOMA Project Chief Executive Officer Sam Owilly.

The delegation included representatives from long-standing BOMA partners IKEA Foundation and Dovetail Impact Foundation.

Speaking during the meeting, Sam Owilly highlighted BOMA’s impactful work in Turkana over the last two years. He shared that the organisation has reached more than 15,000 individuals through its flagship Rural Entrepreneur Access Program (REAP).

The programme equips vulnerable community members with seed funding, business training, and mentorship to build sustainable livelihoods.

Through REAP, BOMA has disbursed KSh 140 million to 10,900 programme participants to establish income-generating activities.

Additionally, the programme has supported the formation of village savings and loan schemes, which have already recorded KSh 50 million in savings and KSh 40 million in loans and credit disbursement.

Owilly also noted BOMA’s growing footprint in Turkana, supported by partnerships such as the Nawiri Programme and other resilience-building initiatives. He said the programmes target both host and refugee communities, with a focus on equitable development, natural resource management, and climate change adaptation.

One of the priority areas includes conservation of the Loima Forest.

“We are proud of what we have achieved in Turkana, and we acknowledge that it would not have been possible without collaboration from the County Government. We are keen to continue this fruitful partnership,” Owilly said.

Deputy Governor Dr John Erus welcomed the delegation and thanked BOMA and its partners for their continued investment in the region.

He highlighted that the County Government is developing a resilience strategy that builds on years of donor-led interventions.

“As an administration, we value partners like BOMA whose work directly impacts the lives of our people. We don’t take this support for granted,” Dr Erus stated.

He said the County Government is working to expand opportunities for investment in key areas, including water, natural resource management, and livelihoods.

The county has prioritised the completion of a County Spatial Plan to guide development and unlock tourism potential.

The Deputy Governor also revealed plans to implement a large-scale cash transfer programme targeting 60,000 residents, and to promote cooperatives in high-value production chains.

In rangeland management, the County is working to register community lands to secure livelihoods for pastoralists.

He praised the impact of the Ujuzi Mashinani programme, which is equipping communities with practical skills and linking them to value chain opportunities.

“We are also examining long-term strategies for integrating refugee populations. Turkana is proud to host refugees, but we must also explore feasible integration models.

Investment in water infrastructure, such as the proposed River Tarach Dam, will help us resolve long-standing challenges and restore critical ecosystems,” Dr Erus added.

Acting CEO of Lodwar County Referral Hospital, Nancy Kinyonge, raised the importance of linking economic empowerment to healthcare.

She noted that many residents struggle to afford the Social Health Authority (SHA) contributions and called on partners to integrate a health component into their interventions to support SHA registration and sustainability.

Also present at the meeting were Deputy County Secretary Joseph Nyang’a; County Executives Dr Anthony Apalia (Climate Change and Natural Resources) and Faith Aletea (Lands).

Chief Officers Moses Korea (Office of the Governor) and Chief Officer Samuel Ekale (Economic Planning); and Director for Resource Mobilisation, Raphael Logum.

The BOMA delegation included Nick van der Jagt, Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation Manager at IKEA Foundation; Naomi Kioi, Investment Director at Dovetail Impact Foundation; and Catherine Gitonga, CEO of Smart Regional Consultants.