At least 470 Community Interest Groups in Turkana County are set to receive Sh67 million grants from the World Bank after approval of their proposals by the County Project Steering Advisory Committee (CPSC).
The selection and review meeting of the proposals, which will be funded through the Emergency Locust Response Program (ELRP) was chaired by county Executive for Agriculture, Livestock Development and Fisheries David Erukudi.
Erukudi, who is the chair of the CPSC, expressed optimism that the grants will have a socio-economic impact on the targeted communities and revealed that the Department will undertake monitoring and evaluation of the projects, once it is launched.
The benefiting groups which include Farmers’ Producer Organizations (FPOS) are in Kaputir, Kalapata,Kapedo, Lokori,Kerio, Kanamkemer, Lobei/Kotaruk, Lokiriama, Letea, and Kaeris Wards.
Four farmers’ producer organizations (FPOs), Lodoot (vegetables), Nariemeto (pasture), Kangalita (groundnuts) and Lokubae (sorghum) will each receive a grant of Sh 500,000 from ELRP.
County Coordinator for ELRP Victor Lochee said the FPOs were considered because of the high number of groups that need to be linked to FPOs/POs.
The project, Lochee elaborated, was moving towards sustainability by transiting Ward CDDCs to Ward SACCOs that will form Cooperatives in every Sub-County.
This will ensure that the funds will be revolving in Wards and the Sub-counties.
Some of the sub-projects that have been implemented under the ELRP include animal health vaccination, procurement of livestock feeds, borehole equipping and piping in Kaeris Ward as well as provision of gillnets to the fisher-folk.
County Chief Officers Dr. Ezekiel Etelej (Livestock Development), Janerose Tioko (Agriculture), Samwel Ekaale(Cooperative), and Evans Lomodei(Fisheries) were present.
Also present were ELRP’s County Technical Advisory Team (CTAT) chairperson Dr. Benson Long’or, Gabriel Okata (ELRP M&E Officer) and William Mbotela (County Environmental Social Safeguard and Standard Officer).
By Peter Gitonga
