Turkana: Heads of departments from the Turkana County Executive, County Assembly, and municipalities have completed a two-day training on governance and refugee integration, facilitated by VNG International under the Sustainable Development through Improved Local Governance (SDLG) Program.

According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Samson Logiel, a governance expert and lead trainer, stated that the training aimed to strengthen the capacity of officers serving both host communities and refugees in Turkana. The presentations extended beyond finance and budgeting to cover accountability, compliance, and public policy issues impacting service delivery in the context of host-refugee integration. Dr. Logiel emphasized that the training content was designed to enhance coordination and policy implementation.

Wilson Ikamar, Deputy Director for Human Resources at the County Assembly, speaking on behalf of the trainees, noted that the technical team supporting Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) on procedural matters had gained significant knowledge. He highlighted the importance of enhancing their capacity to offer better support for legislation, representation, and oversight. Ikamar acknowledged VNG International for providing the training, which he deemed timely following recent amendments to the County Assembly Standing Orders to include refugee affairs under the committee structure. The new content, he asserted, will bolster the execution of the expanded mandate.

Omar Yusuf, director of Governor's Press, described the training as insightful for refugee-responsive planning and encouraged more partners to emulate VNG International by implementing similar programs to expedite host-refugee integration.

VNGi Program Manager Isaiah Ekai mentioned that the training was a continuation of previous capacity-building programs focused on responsive refugee planning. He stressed the importance of continuous capacity building to help staff gain confidence in executing their responsibilities.