Kenya's Second-Largest County Reviews Development Strategy After Two Years
Lodwar, 25 May 2026
Turkana County has completed a comprehensive mid-term assessment of its ambitious five-year development blueprint, covering progress across its vast 77,000 square kilometre territory. The review evaluated achievements against planned targets using a systematic ‘traffic light’ approach, identifying successful projects in green, those on-track in yellow, and delayed initiatives in red. County officials examined resource allocation efficiency and implementation gaps whilst developing recommendations for the remaining development period through 2027, directly impacting both local communities and significant refugee populations in the region.
Strategic Assessment Framework Guides Review Process
The five-day review process, which concluded on 25 May 2026, brought together County Directors and staff from nine sector working groups established in 2023 [1]. Deputy County Secretary Joseph Nyanga emphasised the critical role of the mid-term review in evaluating progress against CIDP III programmes and projects, describing the plan as ‘the county’s central development blueprint, guiding priorities, resource allocation, and the overall development direction’ [1]. The assessment framework required departments to provide accurate and verifiable data, progress reports aligned to implementation matrices, and findings drawn from monitoring and evaluation systems to support evidence-based planning and decision-making [1].
Traffic Light System Measures Implementation Success
Francis Lokwar, Director of Planning, introduced a systematic ‘traffic light system’ to assess institutional capacities and identify gaps in delivering planned targets [1]. Under this methodology, green indicates targets achieved, yellow signifies projects on-track, and red flags off-track initiatives [1]. The review period spans from FY 2023/2024 to mid FY 2025/2026, covering CIDP programmes and projects alongside key development players and stakeholders [1]. This systematic approach aims to determine whether the county is achieving transformational results and provides a framework for recommendations to strengthen performance during the remaining implementation period [1].
Regional Significance Beyond County Boundaries
Turkana’s position as Kenya’s second-largest county, covering 77,000 square kilometres in the north-western region, extends the impact of this development planning beyond local communities [1]. The county’s vast territory encompasses areas hosting significant refugee populations, including the Kakuma and Kalobeyei camps, where development outcomes directly affect both host communities and displaced populations [GPT]. As the review team assessed what has been achieved and identified implementation gaps, the findings will influence resource utilisation efficiency across departments serving these diverse populations [1].
Future Planning Through Lessons Learned
The final day of the review process focused on extracting actionable insights for the remaining CIDP implementation period through 2027 [1]. Planning Director Lokwar requested that department heads highlight major challenges, summarise key lessons learnt, outline cross-cutting issues impacting programmes, and flag emerging issues that might affect the second half of implementation [1]. This comprehensive evaluation approach ensures that the county’s development strategy can adapt to changing circumstances whilst maintaining focus on transformational results for all communities within Turkana’s borders [1].