August 14th-19th 2023, a team representing Machakos County Government, Kenya visited Robertsfors Municipality, Sweden for working together on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The partners have worked together since 2006 in various projects in three different phases, and how now been granted support for adressing climate change in Robertsfors Municipality and Machakos County. The project is funded by Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD), and will run from 2023 until 2025. The partners are also invited by ICLD to a collaboration with other local authorities in Sweden, Kenya and other african countries within the framework of ICLD:s Climate Action Network Project. The members of this network will meet in Kisumu, Kenya November 21st-23rd 2023. A visit by Robertsfors Municipality to Machakos County in November is also planned, which will be the first time for the new team members from Robertsfors Municipality visiting their partner in Kenya.
The team from Machakos County, Kenya consisted of representatives from both the political and technical wing of the administration, and were headed by Bernice Mueni Kioko, Chief officer of the department for Social Welfare and Gender. This department has been a key-partner to Robertsfors also in previous projects, assisting with coordination and relations to the governors office, Machakos County assembly, other departments and other stakeholders within Machakos County.
I have worked together with the partners since 2006, and I am now supporting the partners as a consultant and senior advisor. In this program in August, I assisted the new project coordinator and manager in Robertsfors, Linus Lundström as well as facilitated in workshops and conversations.