By Matilda Aatieno
In terms of its capacity-building efforts, and establishment of strong Grievances and Redress Mechanism (GRM) the County Department of Water Environment Climate Change and Natural Resources today held a training for the Ward Climate Change Committee ( WCCPC) chairmen from the 35 wards on grievance redress mechanism.
The training organized in partnership with the Young Women Christian Association ( YWCA) and Suswatch Kenya comes at a time when the County seeks to ensure accountability by addressing the various complaints regarding the implementation of the FLLOCA project further to strengthen the community’s implementation structures in Kisumu.
The participants also took the opportunity to learn from others as the GRM secretariat presented the first report to the Ward representatives. The presentation was based on lessons learned from complaints submitted to the GRM committees.
Notably, the complaints concerned widespread inadequate information and miscommunication in the project implementation structures. It was also noted that one of the key benefits of building and strengthening the committees of the GRM practice is to ensure that they learn from the lessons of others so that the complaints are not repeated about other development projects.
The GRM Secretariat responded positively to the grievances and has positively contributed to the development of the GRM approach to preventing future challenges in FLLOCA project implementation.
According to the participant, Mr. Agai Danish aka Janabi, the training was productive having addressed the grievances of the WCCPC in the project implementation process, and unresolved challenges as well as restating the mandate of the commission on the administration of justice and access to information.
The chief officer Mr. Erick Ogallo praised the participants’ pivotal role in the implementation of the FLLOCA projects across the county despite challenges, sighting the department’s effort to strengthen service delivery and public engagement through partnerships and government reforms in regards to project management and implementation.
Also present were the County FLLOCA coordinator Mr. Evans Gichana, and his Counterpart Director Ken Koyoo, YWCA programs manager Ms. Valerie Oyando, Suswatch representative Wendy Mitoko and other County officials.
