Busia: The State Department for Economic Planning, through the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), has initiated partnerships with county governments to enhance the capacity of county staff in public policy formulation, monitoring, evaluation, and tree planting.
According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative was launched during a ceremony where Certificates of Participation were awarded to 60 county government staff following a successful capacity-building program. Board Chairman Prof. Paul Wachana stated that this effort is designed to aid county officials in developing improved policies to strengthen devolution and governance. The initiative will be supported through a cost-sharing arrangement, with counties managing logistical aspects of training while KIPPRA provides the training itself.
Wachana emphasized that tree planting is both a global and national commitment, aligning with the county’s goal of planting at least 50 million trees by 2032. The initiative aims to increase Kenya’s tree cover from approximately 12% to 30% as a strategy to combat climate change. He also encouraged county governments to allocate more resources to various programs to benefit from KIPPRA’s offerings.
KIPPRA Acting Executive Director, Dr. Ednah Onsomo, highlighted that the institute’s primary focus is institutional capacity development. She noted that her team had been in the county to build the capacity of staff through two programs, emphasizing the importance of sustaining this initiative as one of KIPPRA’s flagship projects. Dr. Onsomo also mentioned that KIPPRA supports both national and county governments in their strategic activities, particularly in policy advice, and has collaborated with various stakeholders to ensure sustainable development across the country.
Dr. Onsomo challenged Busia County to ensure a safe environment for its residents, providing equal opportunities for quality life and livelihood. She expressed KIPPRA’s commitment to working with counties to develop County Development Plans and requested Busia County to invest more in capacity-building programs to improve local livelihoods.
Timothy Gakuu, Administrative Secretary for Economic Planning, spoke on behalf of the Principal Secretary for Economic Planning, Boniface Makokha. He highlighted the department’s role in guiding county development plans to align with Vision 2030. Gakuu encouraged individuals to take tree-growing as a personal initiative, noting that the team had planted 5,000 seedlings in the Nasewa area in collaboration with the Kenya Forest Services.