The National Council of Churches of Kenya, the Dan Church Aid and the County Government of Baringo have entered into a tripartite commitment to equip farmers in the county with Climate Smart Agriculture skills for enhanced food security.
The commitment was affirmed during a meeting held at Kabarnet which brought together representatives from the three institutions.
Led by Dr Maureen Jemutai, the team of 5 County Executive Committee Members assured the NCCK and DCA of the commitment the County Governor, HE Stanley Kiptis, to the partnership. Dr Maureen is the CECM for Environment, Natural Resources, Tourism and Wildlife Management. She was accompanied by Thomas Ole Nongonop, CECM for Agriculture, Livestock Development and Fisheries; Enock Keston, CECM for Water and Irrigation; David Segon Chesire, CECM for Industry, Commerce, Enterprise and Cooperative Development; and Richard K Rotich, CECM for Finance and Economic Planning.
The County Government team appreciated the interventions done by NCCK and DCA in the county under the auspices of the Ugatuzi na Haki Project.
Patrick Kibiku, the DCA Head of Programmes, appreciated the strong collaboration between the NCCK and the Baringo County Government, and indicated that the agency would provide more support as required.
The NCCK team, led by the County Coordinating Chairperson Bishop Musa Kamuren, urged the County Government to integrate the interventions under Ugatuzi na Hakp project in the County Development Plans and programmes.
Ugatuzi na Haki project is seeking to build the capacity of 6,000 farmers on Climate Smart Agriculture while supporting 150 most vulnerable households with multi purpose cash transfers. The project will also support and facilitate the county government and other actors to implement the Cooperation Agreement on the Kerio River Ecosystem Climate Change Management Cooperation Agreement that was signed between Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Turkana counties. In addition, efforts will be made to promote peace and cohesion among the residents in the county.
To promote and enhance good governance, the project will facilitate community members to develop memoranda for presentation during public participation forums to ensure that government programming is informed in a bottom up manner.
After the meeting at Kabarnet, the County Government facilitated the NCCK and DCA to inspect the status of Lakes Baringo and Bogoria, whose waters have risen rapidly in the recent past, leading to a displacement of more than 5,000 families.
