CF Reporter
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), the Kenya Redcross and Bungoma County government has partnered to do research on climate change.
Addressing the press in Bungoma on Monday during a climate change meeting, Jane Mukonambi, Bungoma County climate change director said that climate change is a phenomenon that is affecting the world at large that needs researchers to put their heads together to find the mitigation measures.
“Climate change is something that has created negative impacts on both human lives and animals globally that is why we have come up with this partnership to see how we can mitigate it,” she said.
In Bungoma, the director noted that they have a legal registration in place where they have come up with the county climate change policy and the County finance policy.
She added that the county also has the climate change funds act that will foresee how the issue is going to be funded in the region.
Mukonambi noted that the county government of Bungoma has boarded MMUST and Redcross so that they can help in carrying out research on the climate change issues.
“We have to bring other partners in place to help us do research to help address the climate change issues in the region,” she said.
To ensure that the community also understands about climate change, the director noted that the County has formed climate change planning committees in all the 45 wards in Bungoma that will share the information on climate change to the grassroots.
She pointed out that the county also has the climate change steering committee headed by the governor to oversee the funding modalities towards climate change in the county.
She added,” We shall not only work with Masinde Muliro University but also bring on board other Institutions that will help in doing research and informing the public,”
The climate expert said that the research shall be done at the University level and it will also give an opportunity for other researchers to do it.
She said that the county has prepared the County climate change action plan 2023-2027 that has captured all the actions that should be done by the key players adding that the plan will be launched.
“Climate change directorate being a new in the county, the action plan will be launched soon to allow every partner to understand more about what should be done to mitigate the climate change,” she said.
Prof. Josephine Ngaira, a climatology from Masinde Muliro University told the Star that the main reason why they have taken the initiative to partner with the Bungoma County is that 70% of the global disaster is caused by climate change which bring out things like landslides, diseases, droughts that bring starvation.
“Recently we have had food insecurity in the Country and it is because of climate change,” she said, adding that the majority of the Kenyans of the global population, 40% live below the poverty line.
Bungoma County Redcross Chairman, Dr. Ferdinand Nabiswa said that there is an upsurge of the jiggers in the region affirming that it is a clear indication of climate change.
Nabiswa added that according to the metrological reports it indicates that there is going to be El-nino rains in October saying that there is need for awareness creation in the community.
He added that Redcross on its own is running a project called climate change and inclusivity that is going to cover three sub- counties; Bungoma South, Cheptais and Kapsokwony.
Nabiswa lauded Governor Kenneth Lusaka for coming boldly supporting the climate change research and formation of ward committees.
