Garissa Township deputy county commissioner Sebastian Okiring speaking to the press./STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Read Also

Public Benefit Organisations in the North Eastern region have been commended for fostering collaboration and building trust between communities and security agencies, thus enhancing security in the region.

In a region that has experienced insecurity incidents, especially from al Shabaab insurgents in recent years, PBOs have played a critical role in facilitating dialogue to overcome historical mistrust between local communities and the state.

They have also promoted social cohesion and enabled information flow to help avert security threats. He spoke after leading a tree-planting exercise that brought together officials from different PBOs at the North Eastern regional headquarters in Garissa.

Garissa Township Deputy County Commissioner Sebastian Okiring said the organisations had supported peace and security efforts by engaging communities through dialogue on the importance of a secure country.

Okiring also hailed the PBOs for initiating resilience programmes, especially those that cushion communities from the effects of drought and floods, which have been recurring in the region and leaving behind losses of livelihoods.

PBOs in the region have also been leading efforts to address violent extremism and manage inter-communal conflicts.

They work with community-based peace structures, such as peace committees and elders, to support early warning systems and mediation, thus acting as a bridge to the formal security apparatus.

“Our working relationship is very cordial. The PBOs have been very supportive, even to our programmes, particularly in facilitating security issues and bringing communities closer to law enforcement agencies,” Okiring said.

“This has gone a long way in improving the security situation because members of the public are now willing to share information,” he said.

“Funding for most PBOs has drastically gone down, and as a government we have put a lot of effort into bringing together the PBOs to avoid duplication,” he said.

“Our key areas of focus, given that this is a drought- and flood-prone area, are resilience programmes where we support families to start up businesses.”

At the same time, the commissioner said the government had aligned all programmes being undertaken by PBOs to avoid duplication and ensure there were no repeat beneficiaries at the expense of others.

Mohamed Abdullahi, who was representing the PBO Regulatory Authority director general, called for support for PBOs, noting that the sector’s impact in the country was very significant.

“The impact of PBOs is very significant across the country. In the last financial year, the country received Sh246 billion through donor aid, out of which Sh214 billion was utilised in the country,” Abdullahi said.

“We are encouraging leaders across every region to support PBOs because in this way we can create employment for our youth, and also supplement the government and fill the gaps where the government cannot reach,” he added.

Abdiwelli Mohamed, founder of Semi-Arid Resilient Network PBO in Garissa, called for a public–private partnership in resource mobilisation for PBOs to fill the financial gaps left by the withdrawal of major aid organisations due to global issues and conflicts.

“There have been funding issues for PBOs because of global conversations and conflicts, but we are committed to contributing to community resilience and the national development plan,” Mohamed said.

“The focus now is on public–private partnerships, which are very key to development resource mobilisation efforts,” he said.