African Inland Church Health Ministries (AICHM) has trained more than 180 girls and young women as community peer educators to help tackle HIV infections in Turkana South, Turkana Central, and Turkana West — the three areas considered HIV hotspots in the county.
Recent data from national and county government authorities shows that young people in these focal areas account for more than a third of the over 450 new HIV infections reported in 2025.
The five-day training, held in Lodwar and Lokichar under the Global Fund HIV Programme, equipped participants with skills to link their peers to HIV testing, treatment, and sexual and reproductive health services available in existing health facilities.
“As a community peer educator, I will use the skills gained to reach out to school-going children who are likely to be exposed to the virus and other sexually transmitted infections. My work is to educate them on prevention and safety measures,” said Florence Diyo, a trainee from Turkana South.
The newly trained peer educator added that she had witnessed and heard of cases of child marriage and teenage pregnancies in the area and vowed to contribute to addressing the challenge.
Youth targeted in HIV prevention drive
AICHM Programme Officer Daniel Iripon said the decision to target young people was deliberate.
“As you know, knowledge is power. When we empower this group, they are out of risk because within that population is where the risk lies the most,” he said.
According to Iripon, the training content included elements of rights and social justice, with peer educators being trained on legal pathways for identifying and reporting cases of rape, gender-based violence, and sexual offences.
“This is an initiative supported by the Global Fund Programme and jointly implemented by the Kenya Red Cross Society in Turkana, with the main objective of ensuring that young people are free from the triple threat of HIV/AIDS infection, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based and sexual violence,” he said.
Alcohol and drugs cited as major concerns
During the training, peer educators identified alcoholism and drug abuse as key drivers of new HIV infections and mental health challenges among young people.
“These are issues we have discussed intensively over the past five days. It is true that alcohol and drugs are readily available in Turkana. We demand action from the relevant county and national government authorities. They must act with speed to save the youth,” said Prisca Rantale, Turkana County Maisha Youth Chairperson.
Wider community outreach expected
Turkana County Coordinator of HIV/AIDS Programmes, Samwel Pulkol, said the county expects the trained peer educators to reach a wider audience.
“We expect these peer educators to deliver services not only in the community but also in organised institutions such as schools, churches, and other organisations—anywhere young people can be found,” said Pulkol.
He added that the training content matched the needs of the target population and expressed confidence that the peer educators would deliver the expected impact.
The training was facilitated by experts from the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP), the RMNCAH Programme, and the Turkana County Department of Health Services.
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Organisers say the peer-led approach could reduce new HIV infections by up to 75 per cent and HIV-related deaths by 50 per cent in the targeted areas. The programme will also address sexual and gender-based violence by linking girls to legal aid services through pro bono lawyers.
By Otieno Sadat
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