TURKANA – Thirty Community Health Promoters (CHPs) serving villages 1–3 in Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement have completed a seven-day training as part of efforts to strengthen early childhood development services for children under five.

The third cohort of CHPs was trained on Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development and the Instructive Manual, equipping them with skills to guide caregivers during household visits and community sessions on play, communication and early stimulation for children aged zero to three years.

The training also focused on improving the identification and referral of children with developmental concerns by strengthening linkages between households and health facilities through the eCHIS platform.

The CHPs were trained on the five components of the Nurturing Care Framework: good health, adequate nutrition, safety and security, responsive caregiving, and opportunities for early learning.

They also learned how to track developmental milestones using community checklists and were introduced to mental health and psychosocial support, social-emotional learning, and age-appropriate play and communication activities for caregivers.

Maximila Mana, the County Community Health Services Coordinator, said strengthening the skills of CHPs was critical to ensuring households in both refugee and host communities receive effective community health services.

“This training reinforces our commitment to an integrated community health system where every household − whether in Kalobeyei or the host community − has access to a well-equipped CHP,” she said.

For some participants, the training provided practical lessons they could immediately apply at home and within their communities.

Uwaikani Sineno, a CHP from Natukobenyo 2 Community Health Unit and a mother of a two-and-a-half-month-old baby, said the training had changed her understanding of the importance of engaging children despite the demands of daily life.

“Our people are very busy fending for their children and most get home too tired to engage them. I have learned that however tired we are, we must create time for our children because they need us,” she said.

Sineno said she would apply the skills at home before sharing them with other caregivers during community visits.

Bosco Juma, a CHP from Natukobenyo 4 Unit and a father of six, said the training also highlighted the role fathers can play in early childhood development, including bonding with babies before birth.

“After learning about playing with the belly for the first time yesterday, I tried it this morning, and it made my day how the baby responded to my touch and voice. My wife was very pleased with me, and it has brightened our home. I will make this a required component in my father-to-father support groups,” he said.

The training was conducted by two Community Health Assistants serving as trainers of trainers, with support from Care for Child Development trainers. It was a collaboration between the Turkana County Government and Amref Health Africa, with funding from the LEGO Foundation.

The latest cohort brings to 90 the number of CHPs who have completed similar training, following 60 others who had previously undergone the programme.

Gladys Arika, Director of Medical Services under the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Programme (KISEDP), said investing in CHP skills would contribute to the survival, growth and development of children in Turkana West.

“You the CHPs are the backbone of care in our communities. By investing in your skills, we are investing directly in the survival, growth, and development of every child under five in both host and refugee communities,” she said.

Reinhard Anzeze, Technical Officer at Amref Health Africa’s TuchezeTustawiprogramme, said the training was intended to move early childhood development interventions from policy into practical support at household level.

“We designed this training to move nurturing care from paper to practice. When a CHP can walk into a home and confidently guide a caregiver through play, communication, and early stimulation, that is when we know the Framework is truly working and attracting measurable outcomes,” Anzeze said.

The programme also developed an implementation roadmap and enabled participants to make age-appropriate play materials for use during household and community sessions.

For many families in the settlement, CHPs are the first point of contact for health and child-development concerns, helping bridge the gap between households and health facilities. Their work is particularly important in communities where caregivers may have limited time or knowledge on how to support early childhood development at home.

The training is expected to strengthen the CHPs’ ability to help caregivers track developmental milestones, identify possible delays early, demonstrate simple play and communication activities, and link children requiring further assessment to health facilities through the eCHIS platform.

TURKANA— Three new fishing groups in Turkana North have joined a training programme aimed at strengthening the management and safety of Beach Management Units (BMUs) as fishing gains ground in areas previously dominated by pastoralism.

The groups, Merikuka, Loyoro and Olegech from Lapur Ward, were among 42 participants trained in water and boat safety, emergency preparedness, record-keeping, financial management and post-harvest fish handling.

The three-day training brought together newly elected officials from 14 BMUs in Lowareng’ak and other fishing areas along Lake Turkana. It was supported by the SPREAD Project and implemented by DanChurchAid in partnership with the Turkana Pastoralists Development Organization (TUPADO), with officials from the Kenya Fisheries Service and the Turkana County Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture facilitating the sessions.

The development comes as fishing expands into Lapur following the backflow of Lake Turkana waters, which has brought the lake closer to communities that traditionally relied almost entirely on livestock keeping.

Olegech Group chairman Lonok Lokai Korikan said the training had given him his first formal exposure to fishing practices and safety. “We have been pastoralists all our lives. Now that the lake has come to us, we need skills to fish safely and manage our earnings. After this training I will go back more knowledgeable,” Korikan said.

He called on the Fisheries Department and TUPADO to provide fishing equipment to enable the new groups to apply the skills acquired during the training. “With the fishing gear, we will strike a balance between pastoralism and fishing to enhance livelihoods in our areas,” he added.

The Chief Officer for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Peter Ikaru, said the county government had allocated Sh10 million in the 2026/2027 financial year to purchase fishing equipment for distribution to fisherfolk along Lake Turkana.

Ikaru said the investment was intended to transform fishing from a subsistence activity into a commercial enterprise capable of generating sustainable incomes for local communities. “We want to commercialize fishing to enable our fisherfolk to earn income and sustain themselves,” he said.

He also cautioned fisherfolk and pastoralists to prepare for the expected El Niño rains, warning that heavy rains could disrupt activities on the lake and affect livestock keepers.

Lowareng’ak BMU treasurer Sabina Nangiro urged the county government and development partners to facilitate exchange visits between local BMUs and established fishing groups in other parts of the country. “Learning is a continuous process. It will be our pleasure to learn from well established BMUs in Kisumu and Busia. This will help us interact and link up with ready markets for our products,” Nangiro said.

TUPADO official Benson Elamach said the training was designed to equip BMU officials with technical skills to improve the management and operations of the units. He said the new BMU expected to be formed from the three fishing groups in Lapur Ward would receive support to formalise its operations.

 “The BMU to be formed from the groups in Lapur Ward will be supported with boats, engines and fishing nets,” Elamach said.

He added that Turkana County and TUPADO would monitor existing BMUs to assess their functionality and progress.

Participants also called for the BMU Network to formulate by-laws to guide fishing activities in Lakezone and Lapur wards. They further urged authorities to convene a peace dialogue between fishermen from Turkana and Marsabit counties to address recurring conflicts over fishing grounds in Ileret.

According to the participants, the disputes have previously resulted in the confiscation of fishing equipment in Marsabit County. The training is part of broader efforts to improve fishing safety, strengthen BMU governance and enhance livelihoods among communities living along Lake Turkana.

KAKUMA— United Nations agencies have pledged to strengthen their support for Turkana County’s development priorities following a three-day joint visit to Kakuma and Kalobeyei by UN Heads of Agencies.

The visit, which ended on September 4, 2026, was led by Turkana County Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus and brought together 14 UN Heads of Agencies and programme leads.

The delegation was led by Dr. Garry Conille, UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, and Fatima Mohammed Cole, UNHCR Kenya Representative. The team held engagements with county and national government officials, including County Commissioner Julius Kavita and Mercy Mwasaru, OGW, Acting Commissioner for Refugee Affairs.

The UN team committed to aligning its support with priorities identified by the county and national governments, particularly in improving public services, promoting sustainable livelihoods and strengthening relations between refugees and host communities.

A major focus of the discussions was the Government-led Shirika Plan, which seeks to replace parallel humanitarian service delivery with an integrated development approach that is anchored in county systems.

In Turkana, the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan (KISEDP) remains a key framework for advancing county-led investments under this approach.

“No single agency can deliver the Shirika Plan alone. Our role as the UN Country Team is to listen to the county, the Government, and communities, and align our mandates behind their priorities. What we’ve seen in Kakuma and Kalobeyei will guide coordinated support that strengthens county-led systems while meeting the ongoing needs of refugees and host communities,” said Dr. Conille.

Dr. Erus said the inclusion of refugees in Turkana’s development agenda should result in improved public services, infrastructure and economic opportunities for both refugees and host communities.

“For Turkana County, refugee inclusion must translate into stronger public services, infrastructure, and economic opportunities for both refugees and host communities. Through the Shirika Plan, KISEDP, and its ASPIRE Roadmap for 50 by 35, our county has an opportunity to build on progress made, strengthen county-led systems, and attract investment that creates jobs and drives development across Turkana,” said Dr. Erus.

The visit also provided the UN agencies with an opportunity to assess lessons from KISEDP and gain a deeper understanding of Turkana County’s development priorities.

The engagements are expected to strengthen coordination between the UN, county and national governments as the implementation of the Shirika Plan continues at the county level.