Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) aimed at scaling up collaborative development efforts.
The County and Kenya Red Cross Society signed the cooperation agreement that will cover 5 years to, among others, contribute towards improving the quality of life, alleviating of human suffering and conflict resolution in the County.
Under the MoU, interventions will include access to safe water, health, nutrition, food security, agriculture, emergency medical services and general disaster risk management and climate change adaptation programmes.
Governor Wisley said both County and KCRS technical teams will meet to craft programmes that will be implemented jointly, based on the interventions.
Addressing the media after the function held in his office, the Governor expressed appreciation following Kenya Red Cross Society acceptance to his request to revive peace programmes in Kerio Valley that had been affected by insecurity.
“Now that peace has returned to Kerio Valley, Iam happy to note that Kenya Red Cross has agreed to revive the programmes starting with the Tot – Kolowa irrigation project,” he said.
Developmental challenges
Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General Idris Ahmed noted that the County faces serious developmental challenges that they were willing to help address.
“This County has serious challenges such as lack of access to adequate water and absence of disaster mitigation mechanisms which actually lie within our mandate,” he said.
Ahmed said the humanitarian organisation would help the County develop its disaster risk management mechanism and also operationalize the Iten Disaster and Emergency Centre.
Present during the ceremony were Deputy Governor Prof. Grace Cheserek, Acting County Secretary Michael Sengech, CECs among other senior County and KRCS officials.
