January 25, 2024 (Public Communication and Media Relations)

In addressing drought and disasters through evidence-informed approaches, Turkana County and World Vision Kenya have partnered in an assessment geared towards availing data on the current status of disaster risks in the County.

Ag Director for Disaster Management, Moses Nawoton confirmed that the parties agreed to begin by sharing existing information, create a framework for the assessment, and jointly roll out the exercise.

“Our focus will be on specific challenges faced by the different areas in Turkana, frequency and severity of droughts, the impact on agriculture and livestock, and the socio-economic consequences on the local population,” said Nawoton.

Nawoton added that the exercise will involve field visits for observation and engagement with communities to collect firsthand information that will be used as primary data.

Felix Musonye, Program Officer, World Vision Kenya agreed with Mr Nawoton that the county and World Vision will support each other on a fact-finding mission to address drought through existing mitigation measures. The exercise is expected to start soon.

Coming at a time when the County has invested significantly in response, the Disaster Director insisted that the assessment would be used to inform mitigation measures and improve the preparedness of the County and partners.

He divulged that the exercise will also call for the inclusion of livestock, water, health, and education sectors that are most at risk from droughts and other disasters.

On the other hand, World Vision Kenya’s program Manager, John Bundotich, reiterated his commitment to the partnership and expressed readiness to engage with the residents over the exercise.