Ministry of Tourism , Culture and Natural Resources

To be the best in environmental conservation, technological innovations and development, weather forecasting and sustainable utilizations of the green energy and other natural resources.

To facilitate accessible and reliable information and service, conservation of environment and natural resources through sustainable management and utilization of natural resources for social-economic development.

The ministry has three sub sectors (Energy, Environment and Natural Resources) divided into six departments;

• Kenya Forest Service
• National Environmental and Management Authority
• Kenya Wildlife Service
• Kenya Forest Research institute
• Kenya Meteorological Department
• Department of Energy and Petroleum.
• Kenya Agricultural Research institute.

MANDATE

• Conserving and sustainably managing forestry resources for socio-economic development
• Supervising and coordinating all matters related to the Environment.
• Conservation and management of wildlife resources
• Conducting research in forestry and dissemination of information for decision making and action
• Forecasting and providing Meteorological information and services for the safety of life, protection of property and conservation of the natural environment in ensuring sustainable development.
• Provision of clean, sustainable and affordable energy.

STRATEGIC GOALS

• To increase the power generations capacity;
• Self-sufficiency in wood and non-wood products;
• Strengthening local capacities to adapt to climate changes;
• Sustainable use and management of prosopis biomass to reduce environmental degradation;
• Restoration of biodiversity through research and technology development;
• provision of meteorological and climatic services for agriculture, livestock, forestry, water resource management, civil aviation and the private sector;
• Organization and administration of service and upper air meteorological observations and publications of meteorological data;
• Enhancement of community capacity building in conservation and utilization of the natural resources.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

• To increase the tree cover and species diversity;
• To upscale research technology and dissemination to stakeholders;
• To secure and protect flora and fauna
• To protect and enforce the environmental policy.
• To enhance a clean and healthy environment for all
• To collect accurate and timely weather forecasting, planning and implementation of interventions measures
• To promote and develop new energy technologies and utilizations of the green energy.
• To promote efficient use of energy.

The Ministry of Energy, Environment and Natural resources is undertaking the following development project during the financial year 2013/2014.

1. Establishment of tree nursery at ward levels
   The ministry is establishing tree nurseries at least one in every ward. This will ensure accessibility of tree seedling to residents willing to plant the tree. The locations of seedlings close to residents will reduce the costs of travelling tin search of tree seedlings. The residents will be encouraged to plant. The main purpose is to increase tree seedlings in the county to enable the attainment of Kenyan vision 2030 of a forest cover of at least 10%.
2. Gazettement of Loima Forest
   Turkana county has no gazetted forest. The ministry with the objective of ensuring the protection of flora and fauna in the county have resorted to gazettement of Loima forest to increase the protection of forest fauna and flora.
3. Prosopsis Management at Lake Zone, Lokangae and Lokubae.
   Prosopsis is an invasive tree species that was introduced in Turkana County, then Turkana District, in 1980s with the objective of greening the arid and semi-arid lands. But, due to mismanagement of the plant, it has turned out to be invasive in nature, inverting and reducing pasturelands (rangelands), prohibiting the growth of other plants due to allelopathic effects, withdrawing of underground water from the low ring water table, and the invertible thorns causing physical injuries to animals and human. The plant grows in close thickets with close mast thus making passage by animals and human difficult. Considering all the above, the ministry allocated some funds to facilitate research in effective management of Prosopsis in the areas that are much affected. The outcome of the research will help develop a management strategy that will be adopted by the county residents in the management of the prosopsis plant species.
4. Training of Community Forest Associations and Community scouts
   To ensure the protection of forests, and that other natural resources are managed prudently, there is need for inclusion of the communities living adjacent to the resources. These communities are directly affected by the project so they need to be fully considered in the project through ownership of the project that they will protect. As a result, the ministry planned to register and train at least 10 community forest associations in the county with a target of 150 trained. The trained community members will assist in enhancing the conservation and protection of forest resources and other resources in the county.
5. Research in the developing Agro-Forestry technologies
   Agro forestry technologies play an important role in the conservation and protection of the soils and other natural resources. For instance, the research and development of fast growing Agro forestry for the provision of firewood and fuel reduce deforestation to provide wood for fuel. Agro forestry trees are known to improve soil fertility. The output of the research will be a documentation of selected tree species to be adopted for Agro forestry purposes.
6. Research on indigenous tree for fruits
   Turkana county’s environment is in an arid and semi-arid condition. The county experiences frequent hunger due to low potential of soil to support plants and trees. However, the county has a number of wild fruit trees that require research to establish the conditions necessary for their germination and growth. Moreover, in our planning we intend to encourage residents to plant at least fruit trees in their compounds or plots.
7. Establishment of Lotikippi/Kibish game reserve.
   Lotikippi/ Kibish is an area located in North West of Turkana county. Is has been noted the area is inhabited by wildlife (both small and large mammals, birds, reptiles and others) that roam around in an area. The wild animals are not protected so far. This has increased the human-wildlife conflicts. The animals are poached and killed without restrictions. Regarding the above, the ministry plans to establish a game reserve in the area that will enhance protection of game animals.
8. Preparation of county environmental Action plan.
   Environmental action plan submits the annual state of Environment; this is a tool used for integrating environmental concerns into national planning and development processes for their sustainable development. To incorporate environmental issues in county planning the ministry plans to develop a county environmental action plan that will guide the ministry and planning term in considering environmental issues.
9. Identification, formation, training and support of Natural Resource Committee
   Turkana County is endowed with a varsity of natural resources. To ensure these resources are managed effectively and sustainably, there is need to identify qualified personnel for the formation and support of the Natural Resources Committee across the county. The committee will be sitting regularly to review on county natural resource policies, and planning on management strategies for sustainable exploitation of counties natural resources.
10. Urban Centers beautification (Arboretum)
    Arboretum is one of the programs that we intend to use for beautifying urban centers in Turkana County. The program will enhance the beauty and increase aesthetic value of the county. Preservation of cultural values of Turkana community, the research Centre, indigenous tree species, seed orchard and mother tree for seed collection. The first arboretum is planned to be established in Lodwar town.
11. Ministry of office construction
    Currently the ministry is housed together with the ministry of Health and Sanitation. The office space within the building is so limited to a level where the junior staff share the same offices with the senior staff. The situation is even worse when a visitor comes in the office. Serving our clients in a congested office is ineffective. In addition to the ministry recruiting the directors and deputy directors the situation will be worse. With our mission of serving clients, the office will increase service delivery to the clients.
12. Micro-mining
    Turkana County has vast mineral resources including Gold. Gypsum, iron ore, as well as construction materials. These resources are majorly exploited by the residents at micro mining and artisanal levels. The mining is done with primitive tools and technology for quarrying of the constructions material, sand harvesting and gypsum. More so, the revenues obtained from the exploitation of the minerals are unequally distributed among the county residents. This has called for engagement by the county leaders to streamline the micro mining activities in the county through training of the micro-miners on safety and sharing information from already advanced mining counties or centers.
13. Engagement with investors in Energy sector
    The discovery of the oil deposits in Turkana county at Ngamia 1 well was announced on 28th February 2012 by the former President of the Republic of Kenya. The Oil sector is one of the multi sectoral invested sectors attracting different investment opportunities. Historically, prospecting and exploration of oil has posed negative impacts to the environment and communities living adjacent to where the oil is prospected and exploited. The negative impact includes:

1. Displacement of the community members
2. Conflict both internal and external.
3. Pollution of environment by oil fumes degenerating environment
4. Disintegration of the social cultural aspect of the community.
5. Reduction of rangelands for pastoral community.
6. Corruption
7. Insecurity

So then, as the ministry concerned with the engagement of natural resources, investors, community members and environment protection, through conference, forums and opinion meetings bringing on board the investors, community, county leaders and policy makers. Likewise, the finding will be the basis for the formulation of policies concerning oil, environment, community land, energy and other natural resources directly linked to oil sectors.

• Rural Solar Lighting At Ward Level
  Turkana county has much potential for solar power development. The county has for a long time been marginalized. Only one town (kainuk) at the moment is connected to the national power grid line.
• Mapping and Gazettement Of Natural Resources.
  The county is endowed with a variety of natural resources, (wildlife, forest, rangeland, underground water, minerals oil and natural gas, fresh water and many others) despite all these resources there is no clear report to state the actual amount, quality and quantity. The ministry plans to undertake activity that will survey and map.

Turkana county is open to huge investments opportunities in a number of sectors: –

1. OIL AND NATURAL GAS
   The discovery of the oil deposits in Turkana county at Ngamia 1 well as announced on 28th February 2012 by the former Presidents of the Republic of Kenya. This suddenly turned the county into a hyper of activities related to further oil exploration. So far, several extra discoveries of oil and gas are all across the county. Moreover, prospecting of oil and gas is done across the county.
2. MINERAL OCCURRENCES 
   1. Iron Ore
      There is existence of surficial iron ore, with a percentage range of 68.25 as the highest and 0.02 percent as the lowest noted. This gives an average of 34 percent across the surveyed area. There are a number of peak areas above 30 percent.
   2. Limestone
      Incidentally, there are Kankar limestone deposits in the county. They are of varying shades of off-white and pink, sometimes with a heavy mixture of soil and sand. The percentage levels of calcium carbonate at the surface and some areas up to a depth of two meters to be in the range of 63.3 percent as the highest and 30 percent as the lowest. This gives an average of 46.65 percent across the surveyed prospective area.
   3. Gold
      There is also proved to be fruitful surficial gold indications in the county. The quartzite formations in the county look to have been hydrothermally affected with shiny golden yellowish specs noted. Likely gold mineralization in the range of 1 ppm and 3ppm.
   4. Uranium
      In the county a survey done by Wise Consultants have shown a remote possibility of the existence of Uranium of up to 3 ppm. These can be the best investment of the county in terms of nuclear energy production.
3. ENERGY
   • Solar energy
     Turkana County receives high solar radiations that can be converted to solar energies to serve the people of Turkana in lighting, heating, cooling and industrial processing. During day time, the sky is clear allowing direct sunlight to reach the earth surface, it has been estimated that if total solar energy if tapped and utilized in Turkana County, more than 1000MW can be harvested. In 2005 the national government started a program to provide basic electricity to boarding schools and health facilities in remote areas. Since then a total of 120 public institutions have installed solar photovoltaic in Turkana County. Solar water pumping has provided an added benefit where water wells exists. More so, Kenya rural electrification is piloting on solar energy, and so far, it has installed solar panels at its Lodwar Sub-station to complement the diesel generators that serves Lodwar Town. The hybrid system of installing solar/wind at off grid power station have also been piloted by the Spanish company in the County. The company is targeting to install hybrid power systems at Kakuma Ward, Nakalale Ward and Lake Zone ward. The system at Lodwar is estimated to produce a total of (60KW). Lotikipi underground water aquifer discovered in 2013 requires a hybrid water system to pump up water for animals and human consumption, establishments of Lotikipi game reserve and development in the county.
   • Wind mill development
     Preliminary wind energy resource assessment showed good wind regimes ranging from 8 to 14 m/s from the same direction year round that is estimated to produce more than 1500MW in Turkana County. The Lake Turkana basin has a unique geographical phenomena whereby daily temperature fluctuations generate strong predictable wind streams between the Lake Turkana and the desert hinterlands. The wind accelerates when it passes between Mt. Kulal and Mt. Nyiru ranges. The Turkana wind phenomenal from the east Africa jet stream which stretches from the ocean through the Ethiopians highlands and valleys to the deserts in Sudan in the South-east direction all year round. It is this jet stream of wind that the lord has given the long time marginalized people of Turkana and Marsabit Counties. It is these phenomena that led to the formation of the 350MW Lake Turkana wind power project in Loyangalani in Marsabit County. So far six wind masts and wind data loggers installed in the last three years in the county.
   • Geothermal power generation
     The potential to generate the geothermal energy in Turkana County encompasses around lake Turkana islands (both the central and South Islands). A reconnaissance survey was carried out by a British geological survey and published in 1993. It indicated the young volcanic centers that are good indicators of an active geothermal system. Measured fumaroles temperatures recorded value of over 900c with the hot springs recording surface temperatures of 400c. In addition, the area is close to the Barrier Volcanic Complex which has been explored and is in existence of active geothermal systems in this area. The explorations activities are ongoing at Kapendo and other parts of Turkana East. The geothermal resources in Turkana can be harnessed by drilling geothermal wells to an average depth of around 2000-2500 meters below the surface. It can be exported to other parts of the country and neighboring countries.
   • Biomass power production in Turkana County
     The main sources of cooking fuel in the county are wood fuel, kerosene and Charcoal. 95% of the households use Kerosene, charcoals and firewood for lighting. The increasing of the influx of human population into the county is consequently increasing demand on the fore mentioned sources of energy. This results to an increase in the productions of charcoal thus more trees are cut leading the deforestation.