Malnutrition and Food insecurity have for decades been serious community concerns in Isiolo County. In an effort to get relevant and timely information and enhance a data-informed policy environment, the County Government of Isiolo in partnership with WeWorld Global has held 3 days of training of county officials from the relevant departments on the National Information platform for Food and Nutrition security.
The 3-day training of the county officials on Information platform for Food and Nutrition security was aimed at creating county capacity within county institutions to operate and maintain a county Information Platform for Food and Nutrition, Strengthen capacity to track progress in meeting national and county objectives to prevent undernutrition and monitor nutrition investments and build the capacity of county policymakers and program planners to make better use of evidence in designing and implementing nutrition-related
The workshop brought together stakeholders in different sectors and departments among them CECs, County chief officers, members of the county assembly, and key departmental heads to build the capacity of the county officials and deliberate on the way forward for the County Information Platform for Food and Nutrition which is an initiative of the European Union under Drought Resilience in Isiolo County European Union in Kenya.
Speaking during the session Isiolo County Executive Committee member in charge of Tourism Dr.Lawrence Mwongela emphasized the commitment of the county leadership to support the County Information Platform for Food and Nutrition security initiative as it will go a long way in the fight against malnutrition in the region.
Additionally, the Deputy County secretary in charge of Partner coordination Mr. Mohamed Boru lauded WeWorld for the initiative and for the ongoing development and humanitarian efforts realized through the EU-funded DRIC project.
Officers from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) took participants through a replica platform National County Information Platform for Food Security and Nutrition (NIPFN).
Speaking during the workshop the KNBS Project Manager, James Gatungu, observed that Malnutrition, in every form, presents significant threats to human health.
” In order to initiate dialogue between policymakers and data analysis regarding multisectoral nutrition indicators, it is essential to have Data reposted in the NIPFN platform,” Gatungu Opined.
KNBS Data Manager, Allan Gathuru also noted that NIPFN will be a county-led and county-owned platform, to facilitate multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder dialogue on nutrition.
” NIPFN supports the use of existing information and data to develop or refine policies and programs that relate to issues of food security and nutrition,” Gathuru Said.
According to the County Coordinator for Weworld Bishar Maash, in Kenya, the initiative seeks to strengthen the national capacity to manage and analyze information and data from all sectors that influence nutrition. This he said will build on county common understanding, common communications, and consensus on Nutrition and food security actions in the county.
” This initiative will assist in the dissemination and use of information, to better inform the strategic decisions to prevent undernutrition and its consequences,” Bishar reiterated.
KNBS and KIPPRA are the two State Corporations mandated by the Government of Kenya to implement the project.
WeWorld, on behalf of the DRIC project in Isiolo, continues to roll out the establishment of the Isiolo CIPFN platform and build the capacity of the county authorities to ensure county led, a county-owned NIPFN platform to facilitate a multisectoral nutrition policy environment and Multi-Stakeholder dialogue on Nutrition.
Isiolo County will be the first County in Kenya to have a County Information platform for food and nutrition established and functioning.
In attendance were also County Chief Officers and several County Assembly Members led by County Assembly Deputy Speaker Hon. David Lemantile
