Nairobi: A three-year cross-border peace and climate resilience programme aimed at helping communities anticipate, prevent, and adapt to climate-induced shocks and conflict-related displacement has been launched. Led by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark through DANIDA, the programme has an investment of about Sh672 million.
According to Kenya News Agency, speaking during the launch, the Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus said the project comes at a crucial time as the county scales up interventions to strengthen cross-border peace and build climate resilience. He urged implementing partners to align their interventions with the project’s vision of fostering resilient communities. He also assured them of the county’s support in creating an enabling environment.
Dr. Erus highlighted the enhancement of traditional peacebuilding mechanisms, including the Lokiriama Peace Accord and the One Health initiative known as Kimormor, particularly along the Kenya-Uganda border. The County Commissioner, Julius Kavita, emphasized the importance of formalized resource-sharing agreements between cross-border pastoralist communities to avert conflict. He noted that resource sharing is vital for maintaining peaceful coexistence and reducing vulnerability to intercommunal conflict, while also stressing the need for strengthened surveillance by government security agencies.
DRC Country Director Simon Nzioka stated that the programme, informed by extensive consultations, aims to place the community at the centre of implementation. Supported by the Danish Government, the programme will be executed from 2025 to 2027 to address the twin challenges of climate change and conflict in the Kenya-Uganda border region.
Raphael Locham, the programme manager at DRC, noted that the initiative will target North Pokot, Loima, Lokiriama/Lorengippi in Kenya, as well as Amudat, Moroto, and Napak in Uganda. The program aims to empower over 33,000 people with skills and capacities to adopt climate-resilient and peace-promoting approaches. It is expected to deliver both software components-such as training-and hardware interventions informed by research. These include water provision, livelihood diversification, ecosystem restoration, and climate-smart agriculture.
DRC will implement the initiative in collaboration with the Agency for Pastoralist Development (APaD), African Women Rising (AWR), and research firm Samuel Hall. The launch was attended by various officials, including CECM for Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Audan Leah Lokaala, Deputy County Secretary Dr. Albert Gamoe, and others. Partners present included DRC Head of Programmes Alistair Cowan and representatives from the Karamoja region.