The Turkana County Government and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in key sectors and accelerate development interventions across the county.
The agreement was signed by Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus on behalf of the County Government and IRC Turkana Field Office Head Joshua Ruto, paving the way for deeper collaboration in health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), economic recovery and development.
The partnership will also cover protection, advocacy, systems strengthening, research, disaster management and emergency response.
Strengthening Health Systems
Dr. Erus said IRC has worked in Turkana since the early 1990s, predating the establishment of county governments under the devolved system.
He credited the organisation with contributing to the strengthening of healthcare systems and improving livelilhoods among refugees and host communities in Kakuma.
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The DG said the new agreement would enable the two institutions to work closely in expanding inclusive health services across Turkana.
“With this agreement, the County and IRC will join hands in strengthening capacity for inclusive delivery of health services in Turkana, including animal and human disease surveillance and intervention along the Kenya-Uganda-Ethiopia-South Sudan border areas,” Dr. Erus said.
He added that the agreement would create opportunities for joint resource mobilisation while allowing the County to benefit from the IRC ISO-Certified laboratory in Kakuma.
Vulnerable Communities
IRC Turkana County Area Coordinator Joshua Ruto said the agreement forms part of the organisation’s broader strategy to align its programmes with Turkana’s development priorities.
He said IRC would align its interventions with key county development frameworks, including the current and upcoming County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP), the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Programme (KISEDP) and the Shirika Plan.
Rutto said IRC would also continue participating in various sector working groups to improve coordination and service delivery under the framework established by the County Government.
“We are happy that the joint work and consultation between IRC and the county has birthed this MoU. Through this agreement we can now strengthen service delivery to all the vulnerable groups targeted by IRC interventions in both the host and refugee populations,” Rutto said.
MoU Comes Ahead of Development Partners’ Forum
The new agreement comes as Turkana County prepares for the second edition of the annual NGOs and Development Partners Week, which is expected to take place in the coming months.
The event is expected to provide another platform for the County Government and development partners to strengthen coordination, resource mobilization and alignment of development interventions with county priorities.
The MoU signing was witnessed by Mike Aupe, Deputy Director for Partnerships and Resource Mobilization; Sylvester Ebei Eoko from Health, UHC and Partnerships; and Alex Marangach from Social Protection.
Naphtali Kamau represented the Office of the County Attorney during the signing.
