The County Government of Trans Nzoia has entered a strategic partnership with the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ)—commonly known as the Office of the Ombudsman—to enhance grievance redress mechanisms, particularly in the Financing Locally Led Climate Actions (FLLoCA) program.

During a courtesy call on Monday to Governor George Natembeya’s office, CAJ Chairperson Charles Dulo affirmed the commission’s commitment to supporting the county in developing robust structures for addressing citizen grievances.

“We are ready to offer institutional and technical support, not only in redress but also in improving access to information, as enshrined in the 2010 Constitution,” said Dulo.

Legal Support and Capacity Building

CAJ’s engagement includes collaborative drafting of legal frameworks that can embed grievance redress mechanisms into existing county structures. The commission will also assist in training and building the capacity of county officers to ensure grievances are handled promptly, fairly, and efficiently.

The initiative is especially timely as the FLLoCA program rolls out in all 25 wards in Trans Nzoia, aiming to empower communities to respond to and mitigate the impacts of climate change through participatory development.

Governor Natembeya Calls for Broader Countywide Redress Structure

Governor George Natembeya welcomed the partnership and emphasized the need to expand the grievance redress scope beyond FLLoCA to cover all service areas and development projects across the county.

“We must not limit grievance handling to FLLoCA alone. Let us widen the framework so that all county services are subjected to the same standard of accountability and transparency,” the governor urged.

He also reiterated the importance of public trust in governance, highlighting that structured redress systems are key to building confidence in county programs and empowering citizens to speak up.

Focus on Information Access and Community Rights

The delegation, which included CAJ Vice Chairperson Dorothy Jemator, met with officials from the County Climate Change Unit (CCU) for deeper engagement on two pillars of accountability:

• Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM)
  
• Access to Information (ATI)
  

These are seen as critical to the success of FLLoCA, a climate action initiative that places citizen participation at its core. Ensuring that communities know their rights, understand the processes, and have safe channels to air complaints is essential to the program’s sustainability.

“Access to information is not optional—it’s a constitutional right. It enhances transparency, combats misinformation, and allows citizens to monitor public resource use,” said Dulo.

County Climate Team Fully Engaged

Present during the high-level discussions were:

• Dr. Pepela Wanjala, Acting CECM for Water, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change
  
• Dorothy Nyukuri, Chief Officer for the same department
  
• Godfrey Wekesa, Focal Person, Climate Change Unit
  
• Members of the County Climate Change Unit
  

They explored strategies to align the county’s existing climate structures with national redress and access frameworks, ensuring uniformity and effectiveness in complaint handling and information sharing.

A Milestone in Climate Governance and Public Accountability

The collaboration between CAJ and the County Government marks a significant step forward in promoting climate governance, institutional responsiveness, and citizen rights protection in Trans Nzoia.

With FLLoCA gaining momentum at the grassroots, the strengthened grievance redress system is expected to increase community trust, reduce project delays, and uphold the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice in climate response efforts.

Key Highlights:
✔️ CAJ to support legal and institutional framework development
✔️ Capacity building for county officers on redress and access
✔️ GRM and ATI prioritized for FLLoCA program
✔️ County calls for broader grievance redress framework across sectors
✔️ Citizens to benefit from improved justice and accountability systems