Nairobi: The Drought Resilience Programme in Northern Kenya (DRPNK) has secured approval from Turkana County’s Steering Committee to invest more than Sh600 million in water, irrigation, and livestock projects for the 2026/2027 Financial Year.
According to Kenya News Agency, the approval came from the Committee, chaired by the County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock Development and Fisheries, Dr. Michael Eregae. The Committee includes Chief Officers for Agriculture, Water, Health, Education, Livestock, Trade, and Roads, and it is tasked with approving annual investment plans and overseeing implementation throughout the programme period.
Dr. Eregae described the projects as capital-intensive and transformative for county residents. He emphasized that these initiatives would contribute to the broader county agenda of improving food security and strengthening drought resilience among Turkana residents in Lodwar, Kakuma, Loima, and Kalokol clusters. He also commended the County Programme Coordination Unit (CPCU) for engaging communities across Turkana West, Turkana Central, and Loima sub-counties to shape the Annual Investment Plan III.
County Programme Coordinator Michael Ekwanga presented 135 candidate project sites surveyed across the county’s four clusters. Of these, 28 projects were selected for implementation in the 2026/2027 period, with completion expected by December 2027. Lodwar received 10 projects, Loima 10, Kalokol five, and Kakuma three. The Committee proposed a reorganization of sites in the Lodwar and Kalokol clusters to ensure a more even distribution across the five wards.
Ekwanga mentioned that the approved project documents would next be reviewed by the National Programme Coordination Unit before submission to the Joint Programme Steering Committee for final approval. He noted that 17 projects from earlier investment plans have already been completed and are serving residents, while 15 more are at advanced stages of completion.
The DRPNK is funded by the German Financial Cooperation through the German Development Bank (KfW) and the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation and county governments. The programme aims to strengthen drought resilience and climate adaptation among pastoral and agropastoral communities in Northern Kenya, specifically in Marsabit and Turkana counties.
