• The devolved unit has established climate change structures up to the ward level and committed resources for climate mitigation projects.
• It has also partnered with donors to build community resilience in refugee camps and factored climate change mitigation in its Integrated Development Plan.
A National Treasury official has commended the county government of Garissa for its preparedness to tackle climate change.
Molu Ibrae, who is in charge of the County Governments department, said he was satisfied with Garissa's level of preparedness.
"My team can attest that Garissa is way ahead of the counties we have visited in regards to laying the basic legal and institutional structures," Ibrae said on Wednesday.
He led a team of Treasury officials and Council of Governors representatives in the assessment of the county's policies and institutional frameworks for climate change funding.
CECM Environment, Energy and National Resources Habon Maalim disclosed that the county allocated two per cent of its development budget to the Climate Change Fund.
She said the devolved unit was committed to the operationalisation of the Climate Change Act.
Maalim said they had established climate change structures up to the ward level and committed resources for climate mitigation projects.
The government had also partnered with donors to build community resilience in refugee camps and factored climate change mitigation in the County Integrated Development Plan.
County secretary Abdi Ali highlighted the framework and structures they had established, including the enactment of County Climate Change Act 2018 and County Climate Change Policy.
The Ibrae-led team is checking the devolved units' preparedness for climate change funding from the national government and also establish if the required legal and institutional frameworks are in place before funds are disbursed.
Image: STEPHEN ASTARIKO
The Treasury official was accompanied by CoG representative Benson Loktari. Other Garissa officials were Environment chief officer Aden Mohamed Dahiye, county directors and deputy directors Abdilatif Ahmed (Climate Change), Abdirahman Hassan (Budget), Zeinab Hussein Duntow (Internal Audit Services), Mulki Mohamed (Environment) and Mohamed Sigat (Economic Planning).
- mwaniki fm