Lodwar, January 28th, 2026 (Public Communication and Media Relations)
The Turkana County Government has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the gains achieved through the Nawiri Program, citing its transformative impact on livelihoods, policy development, and integrated service delivery.
Speaking during a close-out engagement meeting with Nawiri and partners, Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus, on behalf of the County Government, acknowledged the strong partnership built over the program period.
“The very presence of this meeting reflects our continued engagement and the agreements we have made since inception as we collectively served the people of Turkana,” said Dr. Erus.
He noted that the United States Government remains one of Turkana’s key development partners, supporting socio-economic growth across multiple sectors, including through the Nawiri Program.
“Nawiri has shown us that you can change people’s lives in very unique ways. Its contribution goes beyond sectoral support to creating lasting impact at community level,” he added.
Dr. Erus highlighted Nawiri’s skills development model, Ujuzi Mashinani, as a key inspiration to the County Government, explaining that it has informed collaboration with the National Government to roll out the Nyota Program, directly targeting beneficiaries who previously participated in Nawiri-supported initiatives.
Looking ahead, the Deputy Governor underscored the County’s strategy to strengthen higher learning and vocational training.
“We are interested in investing in this model and integrating it into our vocational training institutions to ensure young people acquire practical, market-relevant skills,” he said.
He further emphasized the importance of Nawiri-supported research, particularly longitudinal studies on Persistent Acute Malnutrition (PAM), which continue to inform County programming.
“One of the key takeaways for us is the research on age-adjusted MUAC tapes. We are now exploring how this can be rolled out for general targeting and to inform treatment plans for individuals experiencing malnutrition,” Dr. Erus noted.
He added that evidence-based tools and findings remain central to research-driven programming and the achievement of Turkana’s County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP).
The Deputy Governor also acknowledged the County’s partnership with Mercy Corps through the GIRL-H Program, noting its influence on strengthening protection policies.
“This collaboration has contributed to the development of protection policies, with the County Assembly already having a framework in place to guide protection interventions,” he said.
Dr. Erus concluded by recognizing Nawiri’s broader contribution to institutional strengthening and integrated service delivery.
“Nawiri has not only changed lives, but also guided our policy and institutional frameworks. As a County Government, we are moving towards multisectoral responses built on strategic value chains to deliver integrated services across our key sectors,” he affirmed.
The Nawiri Program recorded strong performance against its implementation targets, reaching 92 per cent of its initial target of 598,475 participants by the end of the program period.
Speaking on program results, Nawiri Director of Implementation Patricia Murie noted that while the original target aimed at an 18 per cent reduction in acute malnutrition, a cost extension expanded participant reach and adjusted the reduction target to 12 per cent.
“Despite operating in a fragile context, reaching 92 per cent of nearly 600,000 targeted participants reflects the strength of partnerships and community-led implementation,” said Murie.
On health and nutrition, 133 health facilities and 140 community health units, working alongside 1,648 Community Health Promoters to strengthen service delivery at community level were supported.
In the WASH sector, Nawiri supported 27 water systems and infrastructure worth over Ksh 200 million formally handed over to communities, strengthened 35 Water User Associations, significantly improving access to safe water in vulnerable areas.
