𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲
The executive and legislative arms of the county government have resolved to forge a common front in the quest to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change in Trans Nzoia County.
Speaking at a workshop to capacity build Assembly committee members on Climate Change at a Kisumu hotel Tuesday, Water, Environment, Natural Resource & Climate Change County (WENRCC) County Executive Sam Ojwang affirmed of the move.
He observed that there was need to take stock of the previous approaches in climate actions and ensure more coordination, partnerships and cordial engagements in addressing the effects of Climate Change in the county.
Ojwang said the department was keen at achieving its agenda of ensuring not only portable but quality and clean water to the county residents citing that it was part of Governor George Natembeya’s manifesto.
The County Executive observed that tackling of the Climate Change menace requires collosal amounts of funds and lobbied the MCAs to support the course of climate action by ensuring that the department is allocated a considerable share in budgetary.
“Climate Change is the biggest problem in the globe and addressing it is not a simple affair hence it needs collaborative measures and partnerships to conquer,” pointed out Mr. Ojwang.
He called for strengthening of institutions that deal with Climate Change issues at the county level including the Climate Change Unit that coordinates climate change matters at the the county level as well as the Climate Steering and Planning Committees.
Ojwang cited the pounding El Nino rains in many parts of the country with floods wrecking havoc as one of the clear indicators that Climate Change is real and called for concerted efforts in mitigation and adaptations.
Calling on the MCAs to pass the Trans Nzoia County Climate Change Bill, 2023 that is scheduled to be tabled in the assembly soon, Ojwang pointed out that the county requires elaborate laws and strong institutional frameworks to govern Climate Change matters.
He at the same time hailed the ward representatives for enacting many other laws that have helped the county leadership achieve its goals even as he affirmed of more engagements and consultations moving forward.
Talking of increasing of increasing tree cover in the country, Mr. Ojwang observed that there should be a paradigm shift from tree planting to tree growing where the planted trees are taken care of to ensure they mature.
The County Executive further observed the need to incentivise tree growing through monitization so that communities can embrace the reward system and hence grow more trees that also act as carbon sinks.
He disclosed that it was a matter that is already being delivered discussed at the executive level as well as in the national level and that once the necessary structures are put in place, carbon sequestration would also be a meaningful venture.
The department Chief Officer Dorothy Nyukuri highlighted achievements realized by the department within one year despite a mean budget of about Sh 227M as compared to Sh 462M allocated to the department in the previous regime.
She also appealed to the committee to lobby for the passage of the County Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) in the assembly after a Participatory Climate Risk Assessment (PCRA) was done across the county and a blueprint for the same developed.
In a recent ranking of performance in the departments done by the Governor’s Delivery Unit, the department of WENRCC emerged the best having achieved most of the set targets for the 100 days Rapid Response Initiative period.
Among the achievements are drilling of boreholes and subsequent installation of solarized water pumps across the county, tree growing with at least 1.6 million trees grown within a year and provision of energy saving improved jikos to communities to cut on carbon emissions.
The department is also in the process of decluttering the Nzoia Water Services Company to Trans Nzoia Water Services Company that will serve residents of Trans Nzoia better and ensure repatriation of own revenues.
Besides, the department is also in the process of establishing a water bottling plant as a way of enhancing access to the precious commodity while at the same time generating revenue for the county government.
The committee chair Daniel Mosbei assured that the assembly will work together with the executive to ensure the county residents are helped to adapt to the effects of climate change as they also engage in mitigation actions.
Mosbei who is also the Kaplamai MCA however challenged the executive to engage the legislative arm often so that they can walk the talk together for the benefit of the county resident.
The training was conducted by facilitators from the CCU led by the Unit Focal Person Godfrey Wekesa, Grievance Redress Mechanism Officer Sarah Kogo and Environmental Safeguard Officer Yonah Okusi.
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