Turkana's Young People Are About to Get Funded to Fight Climate Change
Lodwar, 6 June 2026
A new climate fund is opening doors for Turkana youth, offering seed grants of up to KSh 400,000 to build green businesses in one of Kenya’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
A Milestone Validation in Lodwar
On 4th June 2026, a pivotal moment unfolded in Lodwar, the administrative heart of Turkana County, when the Department of Gender and Youth Affairs and Plan International Kenya formally validated the findings of a baseline assessment underpinning the Turkana Youth Climate Fund pilot project [1]. The validation exercise was conducted through the Gender and Youth Sector Working Group, bringing together a cross-section of stakeholders including Plan International Kenya representative Mark Lominito, youth representative Alphayo Nachaan, and officials from the County Government’s Departments of Climate Change, Gender and Youth Affairs, Tourism, and Economic Planning and Partnerships [1]. This convergence of government, civil society, and youth voices signals not merely a bureaucratic formality, but a deliberate effort to ensure that the fund’s design is grounded in local realities before a single shilling is disbursed.
What the Fund Actually Offers
The one-year initiative, supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and UNICEF, is structured to reach over 500 young people aged between 18 and 30 [1]. The geographic scope is broad and intentional, targeting Turkana Central, Turkana North, Kibish, Loima, and Lokiriama — sub-counties that collectively represent some of the most climate-stressed and underserved parts of the region [1]. Successful applicants will receive seed grants ranging from KSh 100,000 to KSh 400,000 to establish or scale climate-smart enterprises [1]. That upper figure represents a meaningful injection of capital in a county where conventional financing for young entrepreneurs is extremely limited [GPT]. Beyond the grants themselves, the programme bundles in mentorship, coaching, entrepreneurship training, digital literacy support, and market linkages — recognising that capital alone rarely translates into sustainable enterprise without structured guidance [1].
Why Turkana, and Why Now
Turkana is Kenya’s second largest county, spanning 77,000 square kilometres of predominantly arid and semi-arid land in the country’s north-western corner [1]. The county is acutely vulnerable to the consequences of climate change: prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall patterns have long destabilised livelihoods, particularly in areas such as Kakuma and Kalobeyei, where both host community members and refugees from neighbouring countries live side by side [GPT]. For the tens of thousands of young people in these communities — including those residing in and around the Kakuma refugee camp and the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement — the absence of green economic opportunities has historically meant few alternatives to subsistence living [GPT][alert! ‘Specific current population figures for Kakuma and Kalobeyei youth were not available in the provided sources’]. The validated baseline assessment is therefore more than a research document; it is the evidence base that will shape how limited resources are directed to where they are needed most [1].
Inclusivity at the Core of the Design
County officials were unambiguous about the programme’s commitment to reaching marginalised groups. Evans Lomodei, Chief Officer for Gender and Youth Affairs, stated on 4th June 2026: “This project is important in helping the Department empower young people. We must ensure inclusivity by involving youth from all parts of the county, including persons with disabilities. Information is power, and it must reach everyone” [1]. Deputy Director for Youth Affairs Linus Ekidor reinforced this message, calling on youth leaders present at the validation meeting to act as conduits of information: “This project is intended to benefit the youth of Turkana. As youth leaders and representatives, you have a responsibility to take this information back to your communities and ensure more young people are aware of the opportunities available through the fund” [1]. These statements carry particular weight given that geographic isolation and limited connectivity can render even well-funded programmes inaccessible to those living in remote sub-counties.
Building Resilience Through Green Enterprise
The key recommendations emerging from the programme’s baseline assessment point to a strategic framework built around three interconnected pillars: strengthening the links between business development, climate resilience, and green growth; tailoring livelihood interventions to the specific needs of different locations within the county; and expanding structured youth entrepreneurship programmes [1]. This approach reflects a growing global consensus that climate adaptation in vulnerable regions is most durable when it is economically empowering rather than purely humanitarian [GPT]. By channelling seed grants toward climate-smart enterprises — businesses that are both viable and environmentally adaptive — the fund aims to create a cohort of young entrepreneurs who are themselves agents of climate resilience, rather than simply recipients of aid. The model, if validated through the pilot phase, could serve as a blueprint for similar initiatives across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties [GPT][alert! ‘No source confirms replication plans in other counties at this stage’].
What Comes Next
With the baseline validation now complete as of 4th June 2026, the programme moves into its operational phase [1]. Young people aged 18 to 30 residing across the five targeted sub-counties — Turkana Central, Turkana North, Kibish, Loima, and Lokiriama — are the primary eligible cohort [1]. Residents and youth groups seeking to apply or participate are encouraged to follow official communications from the Turkana County Government and Plan International Kenya for details on application timelines and eligibility criteria [1][alert! ‘No specific application opening date was provided in the source material’]. The programme’s one-year horizon means that the window for participation is finite, making early awareness critical for communities in more remote areas where information tends to travel more slowly. For Turkana’s young people — whether from the host community or from refugee settlements in Kakuma and Kalobeyei — this fund represents a rare convergence of climate urgency and economic opportunity.