West Pokot County has made a bold move to institutionalize its fight against extreme poverty by drafting the Poverty Graduation and Social Protection Bill, a legislative framework aimed at embedding poverty reduction into every level of county governance.
The milestone was achieved following a weeklong workshop convened to align the proposed bill with the county’s existing poverty graduation policy. The workshop was supported by Village Enterprise, a non-governmental organization that has played a key role in advancing the Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) model in the region.
The proposed legislation seeks to make poverty graduation a shared responsibility across all county departments, ensuring a coordinated, structured, and sustainable approach to tackling extreme poverty. It also introduces gender-sensitive and results-based monitoring tools to better track outcomes and improve accountability.
Deputy Speaker Hon. Victor Siywat welcomed the draft bill with optimism, calling it a timely intervention. “The poverty levels we’re seeing are deeply concerning. This bill offers a clear path forward. It’s time to take action and make sure help gets to those who need it most,” he stated.
County Executive Committee Member for Tourism, Culture, Sports, Youth and Social Protection, Ms. Lucky Litole, echoed the need for a robust legal framework, pointing to past challenges in implementing poverty graduation programs without clear guidelines.
“Without a legal structure, we've faced many operational hurdles. This bill provides the direction and clarity we need. We are grateful to Village Enterprise for their unwavering support and remain committed to ensuring that this programme delivers real change on the ground,” she said.
The bill now advances to the County Cabinet for review before being tabled in the County Assembly for debate and possible enactment.
Once passed, the law will position West Pokot as one of the few counties in Kenya to formally legislate the Ultra-Poor Graduation model, reinforcing its commitment to long-term social protection in line with Vision 2030 and the County’s 2023–2027 Development Plan.
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