In this travel, I participated in three programs starting with the first November 15th in Homa Bay County, Kenya and ending the third in Jinja, Uganda November 30th. In between, the second program was carried out in Kisumu, Kenya between November 21st-23rd.
All programs were funded by Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD).
During the first program, Lycksele Municipality visited Homa Bay County for finalizing the first project (2019-2023) on sustainable waste and water management focused on training, communication and production of policys and plans for sustainable solutions on waste, water and sanitation. Another component of the program was to work with the second project (2023-2025) aimed at capacity building and solutions at the sub-county, ward and villages level in Homa Bay County, and more specifically developing pilot show-cases on these levels, and then up-scale them throughout the county. We also carried out a dissemination conference, inviting stakeholders in Homa Bay County as well as representatives for Kisumu County, Siaya County, Busia County and Migori County. A number of study-visits were also carried out during the program, as well as opportunities to talk with HE. Gladys Wanga, governor of Homa Bay County and other representatives for Homa Bay County assembly and the executive levels of the government. The team from Lycksele ended the program with a visit at Stockholm Environment Institute who has an office in Nairobi.
The second program was organized by ICLD. Participants from Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa and Sweden were provided an opportunity to meet, talk and learn about how local governments in these countries can work for adapting and mitigation climate change. I was there with a small team from Region Västerbotten, Sweden and Kisumu County, Kenya who are coordinators of a project for resilient and sustainable health systems in Kisumu County and other Kenya lakefront counties. In this program the staff of ICLD facilitated the discussions, in partnership with an expert from Stockholm Environment Institute and with input from other experts, for example from United Nation Development Capital Fund (UNCDF).
The third program was also organized by ICLD, and this time in Jinja, Uganda, with participants from local governments in Kenya, Uganda and Sweden who are working for equitable health care. I was there with the same team from Region Västerbotten, but this time with our partners from the department of health in Homa Bay County.
All programs were very successful. The work will continue next year, and updated information will be provided when other activities are carried out by different teams from the County of Västerbotten and by ICLD who invites representatives for local governments in network activities and trainings.