The County Government of Siaya hosted officials drawn from The Kenya Red Cross Society. The meeting focused on thematic areas that will be part of the forthcoming Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and collaboration on disaster-related initiatives. It was noted that the signing of the MOU is tentatively scheduled to be done by Governor James Orengo and the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society.
Once the report is compiled and agreed upon by both parties, it will lead to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), tentatively in three weeks. The deliberations agreed that the report would be prepared annually, as confirmed by the Governor and the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross. Additionally, allowances for any work done will be covered by both parties, with the Technical Committee leading the implementation of programs and decisions made by the Steering Committee.
The modalities of engagement will include liaison and coordination, continuous advisory, and representation through committee legislation priorities.
The Red Cross representatives shared their extensive experience in humanitarian aid and disaster management, emphasizing their readiness to support the county's initiatives. They noted that with Governor James Orengo as the County's Patron for the Society, this draft proposal should lead to an MOU beneficial for Siaya residents, particularly in addressing disasters. They discussed potential programs focusing on health services, emergency preparedness, and community resilience.
Further discussions outlined specific disasters such as hippo attacks, drowning during floods, hailstorms affecting crops, livestock disease outbreaks like cholera, mosquito bites, red mouth disease, and Rift Valley Fever, which impacts parts of Bondo towards Sakwa and Yimbo, potentially destroying trees and homes. Fire outbreaks destroying businesses and buildings were also highlighted by the County Government as critical areas for prevention and containment.
The CGS team was led by Chief Officer for Governance, Administration, and ICT, Hon. Walter Okelo, representing his CECM Mr. Agunda Ochanda while the Red Cross delegation was led by the County Coordinator Mr. James Akelo, Dr. Cornel Adombi, Regional Programs Coordinator Mr. Franklines Ochieng, and Global Funds Regional Supply Chain Management Officer Moses Tona.
The Red Cross highlighted areas like land availability, resource mobilization, training, capacity building, agriculture, food security, water sanitation, health emergencies, medical responses, nutrition, and warehousing as pragmatic areas of mutual interest. They emphasized that these should be thoroughly examined and agreed upon by both parties in the report.
Hon. Walter Okelo concurred that the final draft would be ready as agreed, ensuring that programs under the Nyalore Administration could be fulfilled without disruption by disasters, thereby protecting the populace. Drought, climate change, and the legal aspects of dealing with these issues were also considered. The County team proposed focusing on early signs of disaster to manage occurrences proactively. Mr. Chrispine Omondi, Director of Public Communication, called for uniformity in communicating disaster-related information to avoid misinformation and propaganda in future events.
Other Chief Officers present were Joseph Omondi for Lands, Physical Planning, and Urban Development and Elizabeth Adongo for Agriculture, Food Security, Livestock and Blue Economy who doubles as the CO for Trade, Cooperatives, and Industrial Development.