PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS
Community Resilience in the Kerio River Ecosystem (CORKE)
A program on Climate change along counties bordering Kerio River Ecosystem (Baringo, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet. Turkana County has recently been introduced through CORKE Turkana)
This project was formulated in response to increasing vulnerabilities to climate change by pastoralists and crop farming communities in Baringo, ElgeyoMarakwet, West Pokot, and Turkana County. The Partnership includes the rolling out of joint climate action activities by the four Counties. This culminated in the signing of a Cooperation Agreement by the three Counties Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo and West Pokot Counties.
The four-month CORKE Turkana was introduced in September 2019. Interdepartmental scenario building and Village level meetings have been done in Turkana County and the Signing Ceremony is proposed for early December 2019. NOREB in Partnership with National Council of Churches Kenya (NCCK) is the lead actors of this program with support from Dunchurch Aid.
Cotton Production
A meeting between MD Rivatex and CECM’s Agriculture and Trade of the NOREB Counties was held in 5th August 2019. The Team had a Comprehensive tour to Rivatex Cotton Plant for an in-depth analysis by the Bloc’s Member Counties and NOREB Secretariat.
The CECM’s for Agriculture and Trade from NOREB Counties together the Managing Director Rivatex E.A Ltd had an in-depth Consultative meeting towards Cotton Production areas in NOREB Member Counties and Possibilities of Signing an MOU between NOREB and Rivatex EA Ltd.
BLOC PROCESSES
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
The NOREB Bill has been redrafted by the drafting experts from Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC) with the assistance of the NOREB County Attorneys from 18th -22nd November 2019. A Zero Draft NOREB Bill has since been forwarded by the KLRC to the County Attorneys and the Secretariat to provide their inputs to guide further review of the Bill. It was agreed that there should be a second meeting in the week of 9th December 2019 to develop a final NOREB draft Bill.
A consensus was reached that to enable the fast-tracking of the stakeholder validation, the agreement (MoU) as drafted, should not be amended for now but rather the stakeholder validation should be done after the finalization depending on availability of funds (UNDP & CoG) and diaries of the various assemblies.
ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT
NOREB draft Economic blueprint has been developed by a consultant through support by UKAID - AHADI. The Economic Blueprint is currently at the validation stage by the sectoral committees. The draft Economic Blueprint has been shared with the Governors through their respective Chiefs of Staff for consideration by the Summit Members for subsequent input at their next meeting.
SECRETARIAT STRUCTURE
The Bloc’s secretariat structure has been developed taking in the input from the 2nd Summit meeting. The draft secretariat structure is to be considered for approval in the next summit meeting.
NOREB BUDGET
A proposed budget for the bloc has been submitted to the Chairman of the Summit organ for consideration in the next Summit meeting.
A NOREB bank account has been opened and operating at the Kenya Commercial Bank
NOREB WEBSITE
The Bloc’s website is developed in partnership with the North Rift Solutions, hosted by the ICT Authority and continues to be updated. Official staff emails are in use. Social Media platforms are active.
NOREB OFFICE
The Bloc has been allocated an office stage at the 5th Floor of KVDA Plaza by the County Government of Uasin Gishu and the necessary approvals are being obtained for renovation to take place.